Black Butler: Ronald Knox x OC: Troubled waters
by ZuraElectra
Summary: Elanora Hawthorn is one of the only female dispatch officers. Contracting the phobia of drowning early in her career after an incident the only person who makes the nightmares disappear is Friend Ronald Knox, When Elanora starts to fall for Ronald she has to make a choice. Fight her inner demons and win or suffer the same death as her best friend all those years ago...
1. Late Nights

**_Elanora P.O.V_**

Sitting at my desk, writing on the very last sheet of paper before I handed in the papers to William, I know it's very nice to be in Dispatch... But I hate the paper work, the way it can mean I go home late from work or the way that you are reprimanded if you don't hand it in on time.  
"Hi Elanora." I looked up from my paperwork to see Ronald Knox, his charming smile upon his face as usual completely care free and handsome...  
"Oh hello Ronald." I smiled.  
"Are you done yet, I can walk you home if you like or we could go out somewhere?" He said.  
This wasn't uncommon or anything he usually would ask at the end of the day we would go for drinks or something, mostly with Grell or William or both... If Grell cooled down enough to even look at William without having a orgasm.  
"Well I just have to hand this in to William and then, yes I would like to go somewhere." I smiled.  
Looking at the mound of paper work Ronald smiled kindly at me.  
"That looks like a lot, want any help?" He asked.  
"Well if you don't mind?" I said hesitantly.  
"No problem, that's what friends are for right." He smiled. Of course... Just friends, you chat up every other girl except me...  
Ronald picked up half the papers and I picked up the other, making our way from my desk and walking down to William's office.  
I sighed sadly at this thought.  
"Are you alright Elanora?" Ronald asked.  
"Oh, I-I um I'm fine really." I stuttered.  
"Really, you don't seem fine." He said eyeing me closely.  
I can already feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. GOD RONALD !  
Finally reaching Williams door I tried to put out my hand to knock only to drop my half of the papers.  
"Stupid! Idiot! Clumsy! Moron! Why do I have to be such a twally!" I shouted at myself as I bent down to pick up the papers.  
"Hey don't say that it was just an accident, don't be so harsh on yourself!" Ronald said as he knelt down to help me pick up the papers and re-organise them. At the last paper our hands both reached out and touched. Cliché. I froze not knowing what to do and his hand stayed on mine. We just looked at each other.  
"Such a racket you two make...Don't just stand there come along." William said as he emerged from his office only to re enter it leaving the door open for us to enter.  
I let go of Ronald's hand and picked up the paper, lifting up the stack of papers and then walking into the office. Ronald walking behind me, his eye's holding his normal manner, yet with something else, almost annoyance.

We placed the papers down on Williams desk and then stood there.  
William looked up from his seat and then to the two stacks of papers.  
"I thought you had finished you're report earlier Knox." William said, cold tone ever present.  
"I did sir, I was just helping Elanora carry her paperwork here." Ronald said scratching the back of his head.  
"Very well it's actually good that you're here." William said.  
"Why is that?" I asked.  
"I've been called out to deal with Grell Sutcliff and you will be assisting me." William said his tone grinding slightly in annoyance. "Which one of us?" Ronald asked.  
"Elanora, this is only a pick up, we don't need to do anything unnecessary." I sighed, looks like more over time for me. "So first you steal my date for tonight and then you make her do over time, charming." Ronald says. Obviously disappointed.  
"Ronald! Watch what you say." I hissed.  
"Sorry, I'm at that mischievous age you know." He says.  
"I'm the same age as you." I say.

"Come along then." William say as we walk out of the door.  
I sigh.  
"Some other time maybe Ronald!" I say as I walk past. "The nights still young and so are we!" He yells as I walk through the door, annoying all the other Reapers in the room at that moment.  
I chuckle to myself.

**_The Streets of London Town_**

Running over the rooftops with William just a few feet ahead we go the exact location that Grell is supposed to be at this time.  
The sounds of a fight can already be heard as we continue on our journey and then... A chainsaw?!

Turning the corner I see man holding a chainsaw above his head like he is about to deliver a killing blow to Grell's head.  
The man had black hair with bangs covering some parts of his face, slim frame and dressed in a blood soaked butlers attire. A demon!  
Then there is a boy sat next to the bloodied body of a women, dressed in nothing, but red. Grell's favourite colour. The boy sat staring at her is young, probably 12 or 13 and eye patch covering one of his eyes. Quite pale with his face covered with splotches of blood almost like paint on a white canvas.

So the lady in Red is the one Grell murdered, it figures.  
As the Butler brings down the chainsaw on to Grell, William lets his death scythe loose using it to block the chainsaws path.  
He then Springs down and I follow after him.  
The butler looks up in annoyance to see us. On closer inspection the Butler is very handsome, even if he is a demon! "I am William T Speares, From the Grim Reapers personnel, This is Elanora Hawthorn." William says.  
"Reaper Sutcliff you are charged with the following; The Killing of those not written on the Death list, Altering your Death Scythe without permission, Meddling with the matters of life and death." William concluded, Eyeing him as he lay on the ground.  
"We apologize on his behalf." I say, he looks up at me and I scowl at him.  
"Please take my card." William says bowing to the Demon. This must be painful...  
There's a small conversation I can't hear between the two, but it's probably about William's annoyance at having to bow to a demon.  
"Come along." William says walking past me.  
I decide to grab Grell by his hair and drag him along, he starts whining so I kick him once or twice.  
"Stop! Ow!" He yelled.  
"That's what you get for causing so much trouble! Do you know how much over time people will have to put in now, not to mention you ruined my night out!" I hiss, gritting my teeth from shouting.  
"Oh going to go out with Ronald were we, oooh a romantic dinner for two!" Grell giggles.  
I Pull him up by his hair and punch him in the stomach. William just let me get on with it, in my opinion what William was going to do was far worse than what I was dishing out to him.  
"Shut up Grell! You're already in a whole heap of trouble as it is don't push me!" I say smacking him upside the head and then continuing to drag him along, mumbling to myself about how I really was looking forward to tonight, how long it's been since I had a night out or clocked out on time instead of staying late.

"Mumbling is a bad habit you know." Grell smirks.  
"Shut it Sutcliff!" I spit.

**_Back at the Division._**  
I've been here for hours, I'm so tired and bored. Stupid Grell always having to be a pain, I bet Ronald went to a party or out with another girl...This is all Grell's fault, I'm going to Kill him.

Completely unaware I had held my pen so hard, that I snapped it in half.  
"Great! Like this couldn't get any worse." I speak aloud.  
Opening my draw I pull out another pen and a wipe for my now ink stained hand.  
"You're still here then." I heard a familiar voice say.  
I looked up from my desk to see Ronald!  
"Yes, but why I are you here I thought you would be at a party or at home!" I say surprised.  
"I told you, the night is young and so are we." He smirks devilishly.  
Did he still want to go out at this time! We had work the next day.  
"That maybe, but I'm so tired Ronald. I will be a bore if we go to a party." I said yawning.  
"That much work huh?" He sighs looking at the pile.  
"I'm "Yawn" Almost done... Just got to sign... this." I yawned. Signing the last paper I let the pen drop out of my hand.  
"If you fall asleep, I can carry you home..." He said softly.  
"Why did I ever...Give you the key to my house..?" I yawn, my eyes getting droopy.  
"Because I'm your best friend remember." He says walking over to me.  
I stand up shakily and start stumbling to the door. Ronald walks a few feet behind me.  
We walk down the Road the cool night air waking me up a little, but not enough to be classified as a awake.  
We stop at the gate of my house. I fumble around my pockets for my keys, but then Ronald pulls out the one I gave him and lets us in.  
I walk in and me and him take a seat on the lounge chairs. My house is small about three bedrooms, cause I know sometimes people stay over, it nice and comfortable and doesn't need to be cleaned a lot which is good cause I'm out a lot. I should ask if he wants some tea, but I'm already asleep.

**_Ronald P.O.V_**

I was about to ask Elanora if she was alright when I felt something hit my shoulder. I turned my head to see hers resting against my shoulder, she was sound asleep, bless her.

I yawned, turns out I was tired. I couldn't let her sleep on the chair... So I gently picked her up in my arms and made my way upstairs to her room, she keeps it really nice, it makes me think about how she does it, being so busy and all. It's a shame she couldn't come out tonight, Eric came as well, but it just seemed a bit dull. She likes going out actually, but I wonder how she puts up with us getting drunk. She's had to drag me home a couple of times and I normally got an earful after, but that's what makes Elanora, Elanora.  
I walk into her room quietly and put her on her bed. I suddenly found myself feeling quiet tired as well. She wouldn't mind, it's just me. I slump on the bed next to her. It's funny as I start to drift off I see her sleeping face. She actually looks cute, but sad as well...  
She is an intriguing one...

**_Elanora P.O.V_**  
I woke up to find myself wrapped in my blue sheets. Odd since all I remembered was being sat on the chair with...RONALD!  
I turn over to see the sheets aren't the only thing I'm tangled in. On the other side of me is a sound asleep Ronald, his arm slung over my shoulder.

I wanted to freak out, why was he in bed with me, I wasn't drunk, I don't do drunk, there is no way, he's fully clothed...  
I calmed down and breathed a sigh of relief. He actually looked cute while he was sleeping, the way his hair looked slightly ruffled.  
I felt myself blush slightly. He must of carried me to bed! How could I sleep through that. I look to the clock I have over the other side of my room. It's six I don't have to be in half ten today. I suppose I just get up that way. I suddenly feel a shift in the covers and put my head back down on my pillow, I blinked and the next moment Ronald's eye's were on mine.  
"Mornin'." He yawned.  
"Morning." I sigh.  
"How are you up this early?" He asks looking at the clock.  
"I like to have tea and wake up properly in the morning speaking of which how do you take yours?" I ask sitting up.  
"Like I do every other day, it doesn't differ in the mornings." He says.  
"Okay, so I'm guessing you want some." I say.  
"Yes, please Love." He says.  
Love? That's new.

I go down stairs and make some tea. I bring up a tray with milk and sugar on it and then sit back down on the bed next to Ronald.  
"Thanks." He says as he picks up a spoon and starts mixing the sugar and milk into his tea. I do the same, putting the right amounts for the tea I like; not too strong, sweet and creamy. Lovely. We sit drinking our tea, a calm silence.  
"You look sad while you sleep you know." Ronald said quietly.  
I looked up. How embarrassing!  
"Oh I see." I say. I speak so quietly he almost misses what I say.  
"Do you... have nightmares?" He asked.  
"No...Just memories." "Have you told anyone about this." He looked into my eye's. God their piercing!  
"I'm telling you aren't I." I say looking down into my tea.  
"That's not what I mean." He sighs.  
"Well if you want to know it's of what I've seen while reaping and that one horrible memory, is that satisfactory to you." I say coldly.  
"Don't... Why are you so stubborn, just talk to me will you."  
"How can I explain something like that." "Give it a try." He urges me.

"Well... It's the feeling, the harder I try to stop thinking about it the more intense it becomes, the sick feeling I get when I gag and the burning sensation as the water pours down my throat and into my lungs. All I can do is sink further and further into the abyss, I try to get up, but I just sink further, I try to scream or reach out, but I'm too far away and at that point I stop caring, the worst part is the process continues and it won't stop."

He just sits and looks at me, I can't read what he's feeling at this point. To be honest it didn't feel as bad last night. I felt safer when he was next to me. Stupid, especially since in the real world I feel perfectly safe by myself, I'm a Grim Reaper.

"This happens every night?" He asks.  
"No, it comes and goes, it didn't feel as bad last night." I say.  
"Probably cause you were with me..." I mumble, I doubt he heard me.  
"Okay... Do you not like the water then?" "No, I like swimming, I like water it's just I hate going to the bottom or being put in that position. A reaper shouldn't show emotion like this especially if it's to do with their job, it's not professional. "  
"Alright, I feel better that I got it out of you." He smiles.  
"There you go, now we have to get going otherwise we might be late for work." I say looking at the clock.

**_Outside of work_**  
"So if you're free tonight then would you like to come out for drinks with me?" Ronald smirked. He doesn't give up does he?  
"If I'm free then yes, if I'm doing over time than probably not." I smile.  
"Great, that means I can get my party on!" He states punching the air excitedly.  
We walked into the building and then to the dispatch offices. I noticed that people were eyeing us closely. It started to unnerve me.  
"Ronald, why are people looking at us strangely?" I ask, shivering slightly Eric and Alan were laughing as well a nice smirk plastered on his face.  
"I haven't the foggiest idea." He said, his brow furrowing slightly in thought.  
That's when I saw Grell skipping up to us, my eye already started to twitch in annoyance.  
"YOU F***** HER DIDN'T YOU! I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN. YOU'VE LEARNT WELL FROM ME!" Grell spun eagerly.  
I almost chocked on my own saliva, I couldn't believe what he was saying. "YOU WHAT?!" I shouted.  
"WELL YOU WALK IN TOGETHER, HE ASKS YOU TO GO OUT FOR DRINKS AGAIN AND YOU'RE BOTH SMILING HAPPILY! THIS CAN ONLY MEAN THAT YOU HAVE JOINED YOU'RE SELVES TOGETHER WITH-  
I propelled my knee into his stomach and knocked him on the floor, I then stuck my leg out right and then dropped my weight down sending the outstretched leg onto his stomach. He jerked up in a fit of pain and screamed.  
"For everyone's information, we did not engage in any frivolous activities." I say, pushing a piece of hair out of my eyes.  
I heard a few disappointed "aww's" From Eric and Alan, nothing Ronald could hear though.

Ronald went to his desk and sat down, I went over to Erica and Alan.  
"Whatever it is, stop!" I hissed.  
"Come on we know you like him." Alan smiled.  
"Shut it, don't be like Sutcliff." I whine.  
"You should tell him." Eric says.  
"He likes a lot of women, none of which are me, he isn't interested in having a committed relationship." I sigh.  
"How do you know?" Alan says calmly.  
I cross my arms angrily. I don't need to hear this shit.  
"Because Ronald is Ronald, now I'm going to sit at my desk finish my work and get something to drink."

Grell was loitering outside of William's office.  
"Haven't you been punished yet?" I called over to him.  
"Please I know you've been given a nice whipping, but this is serious." Grell chuckled.  
"I'm being serious." I growled.  
"That's what he said to you." Grell smirked.  
"That's it Sutcliff I don't care if William comes out at any moment I'm going to kill you." I shouted, jumping from my table I sprang at him, twisting in mid air I caught his neck between my legs and then as he fell on the floor I began to squeeze tightly. He started flailing trying to get me off of him but I didn't let go, I could hear Grell's muffled screams and gags and that only made me squeeze tighter. I could hear laughter coming from Ronald and Eric, Alan was shaking his head, some of the desk secretaries were cheering me on, others were clapping.

That's when William walked out of the door. Grell's face was already turning a brighter shade of red than his hair. William looked down and shook his head using his thumb and index finger to hold the bridge of his nose.  
"What's going on?" William asked.  
"She got, all hot and bothered... when I stated...that her...and Ronald...Fu****...When he took her home and then stayed there..." Grell chocked.  
"I don't blame her, you making such accusations, but I now need him so if you wouldn't mind Elanora." William said as I let go of him.  
Grell coughed and spluttered.  
"Next time I guarantee you won't be so lucky..." I smiled creepily at him, making him dash behind William.

"Also, you and Alan have a job to attend to, Numbers 3879-4000 are yours for today, the east end of London." William said, pushing his glasses up to his face.  
"Yes sir." I said, turning on my heal to my desk to pick up my Death Scythe.

Walking to the door, I stopped and turned to Ronald.  
"This changes nothing. I still want a drink with you later." I said.  
"Then a drink with the sexy me you shall have!" Ronald smirked.  
I giggled.  
"Come along Alan." I said pushing up my glasses with my index finger.  
"Damn..." Eric said as you both walked out the door.  



	2. Grells interferrence

Walking over the rooftops I pulled out my small binder with the to-die list inside it clearly sectioned with a small ribbon, it has to be blue of course! Alan was in front of me, as per usual...  
"Who next?" He asked.  
"Gwen Baker, Harold LockWorthy and Lucy Tate." I said. Only three more and then that was it and it wasn't even one O'clock yet, good for 21 souls.  
"Nice, all connected or separate?"  
"Let's see, murdered in a back alley, they were robbed." I said. looking down into the alley below.  
Three people lay in a pool of mixing and congealing blood, two of them women and one man. They looked well off, lovely dresses and hats, no jewellery any more, but they were probably stupid for looking so rich and walking in the part of London with the most crime.  
"Come on then." I say as I hop down from the roof and on to the ground below.  
He follows me down, taking a slight jog to keep up with my pace.  
"Slow down! God you're fast." He huffs.  
"Tight, clean, efficient work. That has always been my motto." I smirk.  
"Yes I know now lets just do this. You're so much like William, you've been hanging around him too much." He sighs.  
I stop suddenly and turn around.  
"Is everything alright Alan?" I ask.  
"Yeah don't worry about me." He said.  
Odd...  
I pulled two of my roses and harvested the first women's soul, not much in her life. Went along to the second not much either.  
Alan went along to the Male one and then did the same. Just as he was about to look through it turned, it was fighting against us, flailing wildly the cinematic record started to go berserk shooting itself straight at Alan, and the worst part was Alan didn't have time to react before it was attacking him. It grabbed hold and started wrapping itself around him, like a snake. The records starting to turn into thorns!  
He started screaming, writhing in agony. I threw my roses at the adjoining records and severed them making them let go, he fell to the floor clutching his chest, breathing heavy, almost wheezing.

"Alan!" I yelled trying to run over, but I was already cut off. I started throwing cards at the record making it retract slightly, but not enough.  
Pulling out my Rapier I started to cut through the record. Then out of no where it slammed directly into my stomach and sent me flying into the wall. I blinked slightly, I could feel blood drip slightly down my face. Cinematic records are not supposed to be that strong when they act out and try to hang on, not that the can inflict that much damage. I stumble to my feet and run at it aiming my rapier straight for the centre, occasionally trying to slap me away again. I bounded off one of the walls and spun only to be caught in it's grasp, it wrapped it's self around me constricting my arms and legs so I couldn't move and then started feeding me it's memories, emotions, pain, everything. It burned. I screamed, it was burning, it was pure agony and then it let go. I fell to the ground coughing, looking up to see Alan with his death scythe stuck into the man and then it was over.  
He came over to me and sat me up right.  
"You okay?" He asked frowning slightly.  
"Shouldn't I be asking you that." I huffed.  
"Don't start. luckily you were enough of a distraction for it." He said.  
"Thanks Alan." I said.  
"Thanks to you as well." He said helping me up only to stumble over himself.  
"Alan!" I helped him up and put his arm over my shoulder. I stumbled along slightly, I bet that thing messed up my leg slightly.  
"It hurts your chest doesn't it?" I say.  
He turns and looks at me, wide eyed.  
"Alan, we all know about it." I say.  
"Since when." He sighs looking down at the ground.  
"A while now." I admit. It scared me at first to think that if he over does it or something he might die, but at the same time, to coddle him would take away his pride so we should let him live his life, just like we do.  
"Thanks...For not saying anything."  
"It doesn't change who you are." I smiled. And it's true as long as Alan stayed Alan than that was perfect.

**_Back at the Unit._**  
"Hi Guys." I said shakily, I should probably get my head checked out.  
"Hi- THE HELL HAPPENED!" Ronald said running over.  
Eric came over and got Alan and took him to the infirmary probably.  
I tried to walk after but I stumbled and almost fell, if it hadn't been for Ronald catching me.  
"Elanora!" He said steadying me as he put my arm over his shoulder.  
"Ronald...Don't worry I'm fine." I say.  
"You're a Reaper not omnipotent." Ronald scolds me. He's not one for doing that. EVER!  
"Omnipotent...That's a new word for you." I smile as he helps me down the hall to the infirmary.  
"Shut it. You sarcasm could be better suited somewhere else you know." He sighs.  
"Good point." I say as I turn my head and then hiss at the sharp pain emitted from it. My vision starts to go blurry and I loose my balance again, this time slipping through Ronald's grasp and on to the floor. luckily we were the only one's in the hallway so it wasn't as embarrassing.  
I tried to push myself up only to be stopped by Ronald.  
"Stop being stubborn, let me help you." He said gently picking me up and carrying me bridal style. That's three times now! Three times I'vve found myself in his arms!  
"But Ronald I-"  
"Stop it, I'm getting you in there weather you like it or not, so why don't you just do what normal damsels do and enjoy the ride." He smirked.  
This pissed me off.  
"I'm no Damsel!" I hissed.  
"Come on Elanora!" He chuckled, but then it started getting dimmer and his chuckle faded away "Elanora."  
"Elanora?"  
"Elanora?!"

Darkness...  
Pain, sinking, I can't breathe, It hurts too much, I can't get up anymore, all I can do is sink, I feel the water pour down my throat again and again, this sensations overpowering everything else. Screaming won't do a thing so why bother. I put my hand out and try to touch the surface, but I can't even do that.

I quickly open my eye's to find I'm in a white clinical room. The infirmary.  
"Why hello there sleepy." Alan says.  
I look over to the other side of the room to see Alan sat on one of the patient chairs.  
"Alan?" I ask rubbing my head to find a bandage wrapped around it, my hair isn't tied up anymore and hangs long and loose over my shoulders.  
"So you're awake." I hear the normal cold expression and turn around to see William sat on another chair, book in hand, cold expression and legs crossed.  
"WILLIAM!?" I sit straight up and then lie back down when I feel all my blood rush to my head.  
"Hey." Eric says walking in.  
"Oh hi." I say quietly.  
"So you're awake sleeping beauty, you gave me a scare." Ronald said bounding in.  
"Me, giving you a scare, that's new, what happened anyway I don't remember anything except falling over." I say rubbing my arm.  
"You fell unconscious as Knox was bringing you here, you took a nasty blow to the head and that was probably the reason why you passed out." William said, pushing up his glasses.  
"But Luckily your prince Charming picked you up in his arms!" Grell sighed dreamily.  
"What is HE doing in here." I said, the intense pain in my head already returning.  
"We couldn't get him to leave." Eric sighed.  
"Come now Elanora us Women have to stick together." Grell says, batting his eyelashes.  
"BUT YOU'RE A MAN!" I yell.  
"Calm, you'll make yourself worse than you are at the minute." Ronald says.  
"Didn't you get demoted." I smirk evilly at Grell.  
"SHUT UP!" He yelled.  
"Oooh, hit a nerve did I." I scoffed, folding my arms.  
"He took away my Scythe." Grell moped.  
I erupted into a fit of laughter, oh this was brilliant, and then it ended with pain as I clutched my side.  
"Serves you right." Grell said.  
"SHUT IT SUTCLIFF!" I warned.  
He cowered back behind William.  
"Will, control her." Grell said hugging William's arm.  
William's eye's started twitching.  
Ronald came and sat on the bed next to me "So you carried me here huh? Sorry about that." I whispered embarrassed.  
"Don't mention it, you're really light anyway you're like a cloud I swear." He says rubbing the back of his head.  
"Oh, um... Well... I um." I stuttered, what's a good response for that.  
"You were out for an hour an a half." Ronald said turning to face me.  
"Oh hell! I have to write a report." I slapped my hand to my face wiping it down.  
"Don't worry, it won't take long, Alan's done most of it." Ronald smiled.  
"Oh Alan, you didn't." I said looking up at him.  
"It wasn't any trouble, really, besides how was it going to get done if you were still unconscious, so while I was sat here I filled most of it in, here's your bit." He said, walking over to the bed and handing me a small pile of paper probably about 3p pages, easy enough for me.  
I was about to get up when Ronald handed me a pen.  
"You have to wait another hour, until you're allowed to leave, so you can do it here, besides, the sexy me will keep you company." Ronald said striking a cool pose. "You have your own work to do Knox." William said.  
"I finished two hours ago." He smirked.  
I giggled as I filled out the papers.  
Within a couple I had finished and was enjoying a nice cup of tea and then the doctor came to check me over.  
"Your fine Miss Hawthorn, nothing too serious, just watch your head a bit and try not to do something that might cause it pain." He said.  
"Thanks, so is it alright if I leave now?" I ask.  
"Yes you can go." He says.

Me and Ronald walk out it's about seven o'clock, cause I had to have Ronald run the papers to William's office, then get a long check up with the doctor.  
"Glad that's over with." I sigh.  
"I'm just glad you're okay." Ronald said.  
"I would have been fine." I admitted.  
"When you passed out I thought you had died!" He said looking me straight in the eye's.  
"And what are you going to say, It's our job Ronald, if such a situation should arise then so be it. We knew this when we started." I say coldly.  
"Just be more careful." He sighs.  
"Say's you, you jump in with a damn lawnmower !" I raise my voice slightly.  
"That's not the point, were not talking about me, were talking about you!" He says louder.  
"Why! The doctor said I'm fine, I feel much, better anyway! How can I be more careful, am I supposed to predict when things go awry!"  
"That's not what I'm saying." He shouts.  
"It's my life!" I shout.  
"And what if you do something that might end your life!"  
God he is bloody persistent.  
"Then my game has ended, so be it." I said coldly.  
"How can you say it like that?!" He asks.  
"Because life is like a card game, you play the hands you were dealt and move on, eventually every game ends, that's just the way it is." I sigh.  
He just looks at me.  
"I don't want to argue with you Ronald, but for someone who is so carefree, you have a worried side don't you." I smile sadly.  
"I'm sorry." he says looking at the ground.  
"What for, all you did was care. I shouldn't have raised my voice." I sigh.  
"No it is your life, like the way I LIVE MINE NO ONE CAN TELL ME TO STOP THE PARTY!" Ronald yelled happily.

**_(unbeknownst to Ronald and Elanora)_**  
"See look, they look adorable together." Alan smiled slightly.  
"Definitely and he's different around her aswell, he doesn't treat her like his prey." Eric smiled.  
"Then are we agreed." Alan whispered.  
"Yes."  
"WERE GOING TO GET THEM TOGETHER!" They both said in unison.

**_Elanora P.O.V_**  
Picking up my things from my desk I walked out alongside Ronald.  
"So you're still up for tonight aren't you." Ronald smiled gleefully, walking backwards to face me.  
"Yes, but you never said where we were going, what should I wear?" I asked.  
"Something nice, like that nice blue and black lace dress you have in your draw." He smirked.  
I pushed up my glasses with my index finger. "Don't make me take that key away from you Ronald." I warned.  
"Fine. I apologize." He puffed out his cheeks slightly how adorable!  
We stopped at the gates of my house.  
" See you at 8." he said walking along the pavement.

**_5 minutes past 8_**  
Where could he have gotten too, oh wait he has problems with being on time.  
Knock, Knock!I opened the door to see Ronald, Blue waist coat, black shirt, black trousers, black shoes and his jacket slung over his shoulder.  
"You look...um...you look good." I fidgeted slightly, if I say handsome he takes it the wrong way, If I say anything in that manner, then it looks like I'm desperate!"You look lovely yourself." He smirked eyeing me up. GOD HE HAS TO STOP THAT I'M GOING TO GO INSANE!  
"Well then let's go I'm dying to know where you're taking me." I said.  
"That's a surprise." He said, walking backwards again so he could face me.  
"You know, you have a serious problem with being on time." I smiled.  
"I came in on time today!" Ronald smirked.  
"Only cause you were with me." I said.  
"Then maybe I should be with you more often." "Wha-"  
"Whoa!" Ronald yelled as he tripped over something on the pavement and fell backwards. I reached out to pull him up and grabbed his wrist, but it only ended with me falling as well. I fell straight forwards and landed painfully on his chest! I blinked slightly my glasses must have slid off as I fell, it's sort of a tad bit blurry when they come off.  
I felt Ronald's hand brush my hair aside and gently place my glasses on my face. "Are you okay?" He asked, never once breaking eye contact with me.  
"Yes... You're the one that fell backwards onto the hard pavement." I whispered, tad bit embarrassed since I was laying on top of him.  
"I'm fine..." He whispered. GOD NOSEBLEEDING IS IMMENANT!  
His face started to grow closer to mine, never once breaking eye contact with me.  
"You know you have lovely eye's." He continued.  
Inches apart and.  
"Oh hello there glad I caught up with you two, don't worry I changed the reservation, so instead of 2 it's now six!" Grell yelled excitedly.  
No...NO...NO NO NO NO NO! This could have been it, My moment and stupid Grell had to ruin it.

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
God why is this happening! This was going to be it! I was going to tell her everything!  
Wait, changed...the reservation...OH SHIT!  
"YOU WHAT!" I shouted.  
"I really wanted to come along, you were talking today about taking Elanora to a nice restaurant, so I wanted to try it out as well.  
I told Alan and Will and Eric and they said I shouldn't but I wanted to so they said they would come too if they couldn't stop me." Grell sighed.  
I couldn't believe him! Just cause I'm sometimes his subordinate doesn't mean he can mess with my personal life!  
Then William, Erica and Alan walked out. Eric and Alan were smirking, but also had an annoyed look on their faces.  
William was just staring at the position me and Elanora were in. Great, I'm so going to get fired! Elanora's like his sweeter, younger sister. William pushed up his glasses and continued looking at us.

**_Elanora P.O.V_**  
Oh God NO WILLIAM! What's he going to think, that we were trying to do the dirty on the street. Wait change the reservation.  
"You were taking me to a restaurant?" I asked looking down at him.  
"Well...Yeah, I thought I should take you some place nice, you know." He rubbed the back of his head smiling nervously. Poor Ronald, he looks cute when he's scared, and why wouldn't he be we have Grell jollying it up like never before, Eric and Alan grinning and William, with his soulless stare, judging everything we do. I felt Ronald shake underneath me slightly. that's when I remembered the position we were in.  
I carefully got off and helped Ronald up. Dusting ourselves off we let out silent sighs.  
"Aww was that painful." Grell smirked.  
"Watch it Suttcliff." I gritted my teeth.  
"Your just jealous because a beautiful women like me is much better than you." He scoffed.  
That's it DEATH HAS COME FOR GRELL AND IT'S NAME IS ELANORA HAWTHORN!  
I tackled him to the ground smacking him and then wrapping my arm around his neck, keeping him in a firm hold began to squeeze, while punching his pace every 10 seconds, all the while he was coughing and screaming "NOT THE FACE!"  
This only made me hit his face more. "Ok I think you've made you're point clear Elanora, but we still need him alive." William said.  
"Oh WILL I knew you would save me! Grell said jumping into William's arms, only for Will to drop him onto the cold ground.

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
The meal at the restaurant was not as good as it would have been, had it just been me an Elanora. William made it tense as it was, I make a move in front of him and I die! Grell was already annoying the crap out of William and Elanora. The only people that weren't giving me a head ache were Alan and Eric.  
"I'll go and get a bottle of something nice for us to drink!" I said leaving the table quickly.

**_Elanora P.O.V_**  
I sighed propping my chin up against my hand. I felt something touch my leg and looked under the table to see a piece of paper on my lap. I unfolded it and read the note.

"_Were so sorry, but when we heard Grell say to William that he was coming along, we had to step in and make sure he didn't do something too outrageous. We didn't think it would be this bad, I know it ruined your night but me and Alan promise we will make it up to you._  
_Alan and Eric."_

I smiled, they are very sweet those two, that's why I love them both, the cute friends they are. They make life at the desk bearable. I don't know what it would be like without them...

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
We had to haul Grell's drunk arse home! Surprisingly it wasn't me.  
It was just me and Elanora now. I want to say something. "Elanora..." I said softly, edging closer to her,  
"Ronald...Don't laugh at me when...I ask this..." She said blushing.  
"I wouldn't " I said. She was so cute when she was embarrassed.  
"Stay tonight." My eyes widened slightly.  
"It's just when you're with me it makes...it makes the dream go away."  
"Of course. The sexy me will take care of you." I smirked.  



	3. Dancing in Death

"Where's Knox?" Eric asked as I walked in the office.  
I turned around, funny he was right behind me.  
"He was right behind me, I swear he was." I said walking towards my desk to put my Death scythe down and then go to the staff kitchen and make tea, it was my turn today...or so I thought.  
As I walked into the kitchen I found Ronald and Grell giggling like little girls. Ronald turned around and saw me standing in the doorway and his face dropped.  
"Oh hi Elanora!" Ronald said smiling nervously...odd.  
"Hey, you were behind me when I walked in, besides it's my turn to do the tea run today, why are you and Grell in here?" I asked.  
"Oh well this morning you looked tired, so I thought that I would do it for you." He rubbed the back of his head, some things wrong here!  
Not to mention the fact that he mentioned that I stayed at his house last night. Well we sort of take turns and it's not every night, I'm not needy or anything it's just...he makes the dreams go away. So sometimes he might come over, or I might go to his. Besides he said he likes my company.  
"Oh...Okay thanks." I said quietly still eyeing him and Grell.

I sat back down at my desk. Pulling a pen out of my draw and then starting to fill out my paper work, it was a small amount today, probably an hour or two and then I would be finished. I never clock out of work before 5. So I normally sit and chat with the other desk staff.  
Were not getting any new staff for a number of months, so Ronald has run out of work prey, THANK GOD! I HAVE HAD SO MANY GIRLS RUN UP TO ME TELLING ME TO CONTROL HIM OR HELP THEM KILL HIM! Normally I would give him a bit of an earful or a smack upside the head. Now it's this time frame that he moves on from this to practical jokes.

Ronald walked over and put my tea on my desk, it wasn't steaming at all which I found odd, but then I don't like it really hot and I like a lot of milk so it will sometimes cool it down a lot. Grell handed tea to Eric and Alan and then went to give William his tea.

I felt Ronald's eye's fixate on my hands as I reached for the cup, even if the sun shone on his glasses lenses so I couldn't see his eye's I could still feel them.  
Picking up the tea cup I brought the cup to my lips and began to drink. Funny it's luke warm, not even hot! I took a few more sips to make sure and then concluded that this wasn't right. I started to feel a little dizzy and sort of happy. I looked over to Eric and Alan. Eric was red faced and giggling. Alan's cheeks were tinted pink and he was swaying slightly, a silly grin plastered on his face. I started to giggle insatiably, what the hell! I shook my head trying to snap myself out of it. I got up from my desk only to fall face down on the floor. Ronald came over and shakily helped me up, his cheeks plastered a deep shade of pink and he was giggling too. I fell again and he tripped, I landed in his arms and we just lay on the floor giggling, his arms tightly wrapped around me and getting tighter, I couldn't even blush I was so out of my head. Arms still getting tighter, I started finding it hard to breathe, I forgot how strong Ronald actually was. I started trying to tap his shoulder to get him to let go, but he just held me tighter. I started struggling and then he looked down, probably looking at the deep shade of purple on my face and my wide open mouth trying to suck in any air I could, he twisted his head slightly in confusion and then let go. I relaxed breathing hard.  
"S...sorry bout' that." He smirked happily.  
"I'm...gone go, to, t...the loo." I slurred, staggering up and heading for the women's bathroom.  
Slamming the door open with my body weight, thankfully I'm one of the only dispatch officers that are women ,there are about two others I think. I headed over to the sink, looking into the mirror I saw that my hair was slightly ruffled at the bottom, my cheeks were a deep dusting of pink and my eye's looked droopy, like I was about to go to sleep.  
I started splashing my face with some water and started coming to my senses. My expression started to change back to normal. I then filled the sink and put my face in it for about a minute, then pulled it out and wiped it with a hand towel. I felt much better.  
What the hell was that!

Then it occurred to me. Grell and Ronald must have spiked the tea. WILLIAM! OH MY GOD THEY GAVE TEA TO WILLIAM, HE DOESN'T DRINK! They must have spiked the tea with something really strong to get the staff well and truly pissed.

I ran back to the offices where, Ronald and Eric were having a wrestling match on the floor.  
"C..Come ON THEN M..ATE! I'LL TAKE YOU ON!" Ronald ranted, rolling around with Eric.  
"It's...MY PEN!" Eric yelled.  
Alan was still In his chair giggling. Grell was frolicking about the office as happy as can be, obviously unaffected.

"CUT IT OUT BOTH OF YOU!" I shouted, ripping them off each other.  
"Elan..ora, you look really sexy...when you're angry...you know that!" Grell slurred. Okay maybe he was drunk.  
"HEY! B..BACK OFF!" Ronald yelled angrily puffing out his cheeks.  
"Maybe...I shouldn't have yelled..a..about the pen. I'M SORRY!" Eric wailed.  
"It's ok...It's ...my fault.." Ronald slurred.  
"I love you!" Eric yelled hugging Ronald.  
"I love you too!" Ronald yelled hugging him back.

That's when William staggered out of his office. Tie around his head, Shirt completely open and his normally cold expression replace with a cheeky grin and completely red face.  
"I...is it hot...in here or is it me?" William slurred, starting to unbuckle his belt.  
"NO!" I screamed running over and pushing him into the nearest chair.  
"B...ut, it's hot and I wanna ... be like the animals." he continued trying to pull his shirt off. I pulled his arms away and put them on the arm rests. "Now William you sit there, ok?" I said. Trying to figure out what to do, the first thing would probably be to find out what we were given.  
"B..UT YOU'RE THE YOUNGER SIBLING!" William ranted.  
"What?" I turned around and asked.  
"Well, you're like my...lil' sister, you listen...you keep Grell off a me an..d you get your work done. You, can annoy me slightly with Ronald and you get angry with me..s..ometimes, but you never take it far or p..iss me off." He slurred. AWWW! Truth be told he is like a cool older brother to me... he was my teacher. When going out on assignments, I mean I like everyone else, but I feel like I would not be in more capable hands unless I was by Ronald's, Alan's, Eric's or William's I Grell and me Butt heads quite a lot. These are the people I'm closest to...

"Grell! What did you put in the tea!" I smile sweetly, still acting drunk.  
"Ooooh hohohohoho! I put in a mix of scotch, whisky, brandy, champagne, wine, beer and a slight sprinkling of opium!" He smirked happily. Maybe he was drunk.  
SHIT! Well there's only one thing for it!

I run to the store cupboard and grab a number of buckets and fill them with cold water. In any other circumstance I wouldn't do this in case it enduces shock, but for one were reapers, two it's not that cold, three the amount of alcohol in that is insane!

I put the buckets down and drag a now hugging Alan and Ronald over to the buckets, they twist their heads in confusion and then I shove them face first in the water. Alan comes round immediately, pushing his head out of the bucket and shaking his wet hair. It takes three more dunks for Ronald, he started screaming. "What in the bloody hell!" He yelled.  
I smacked him.  
"Idiot, what do you think!" I shouted pulling the buckets over to Eric and Grell and shoving their heads in. Eric came too quickly, but I kept Grell's head in till the bubbles stopped. Just cause I fear it doesn't mean I won't dish it out. William was the last and I had to be careful with this one. "Hi William." I smiled.  
He nodded at me and continued to chuckle to himself . I started to get a really bad feeling in my stomach. I put the bucket on his lap and he looked up at me in confusion. I smiled sweetly...and then grabbed him by the hair and shoved it in the bucket. The other thing with reapers, you can either sleep it off and wait for the hangover or you use any means necessary.  
I quickly pulled his head out of the bucket. He looked up at me shocked and angry.  
"I'M SO SORRY! GRELL SPIKED YOUR TEA AND YOU ALL WERE REALLY OUT OF IT AND I MEAN WELL AND TRULY PISSED, HE SPIKED MY TEA TOO, YOU ALL DID REALLY STUPID THINGS AND THIS WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET YOU TO SNAP OUT OF IT QUICK BEFORE YOU EMBARRESED YOURSELVES EVEN MORE I'M REALLY REALLY SORRY PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!" I screamed, running over to my desk.  
"SUTCLIFF!" I heard a low growl from the other side of my desk.  
I heard a scream and then what sounded like a gush off blood. None of the other secretaries were in at the moment thank God.  
I heard someone rush over and jump over my desk, landing next to me. Ronald!  
"It's getting messy up there." He chuckled.  
I smacked him. What kind of idiot is he!?  
"What goes through your head when you do these things, huh!?" I scold.  
"Come on don't be like that." He says.  
"No, do you even remember what happened?" I asked.  
"Every bit of it." He said rubbing his head.  
Even though I was angry, he was still cute...  
"Grell said he was putting something that would make everyone laugh in the tea, I didn't know it was his "Special" Brew!" Ronald sighed.  
"And you believed, him!" I growled.  
"Come on Elanora, it's almost Christmas...Speaking of which." He said pulling out a card.  
"What is that?" I asked. Can't believe I forgot it was Christmas!  
"A party invite silly, actually my invite and a plus one and I was wondering if you would be the plus one." He smiled.  
SCORE!  
"Yes, I would love too." I smiled, self composure at all times is the key.  
"Great, it's tonight!" He smirked.  
"YOU WHAT!?" I shrieked.  
"I didn't think you would agree unless I sprung it on you at the last moment." He rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously.  
"Ugh! What shall I wear?" I sighed, the commotion from behind that table still going on. Poor William. I feel nothing for Grell...  
"What do you think, a nice dress, just your usual pretty self." Ronald whispered, sending shivers down my spine. For gods sake Ronald!  
"Oh...Okay." I said quietly. "So I'll pick you up at seven?" He asked.  
"Sure...Quick question, how did you get the invite and where is it?" I asked. "I have a friend in the far side of London, got chatting after a couple of drinks, it's being held in a hall near the park." He explained.

Suddenly Ronald was pulled by the tie up from the desk, gagging sounds escaping his mouth. I stood bolt upright, invitation still in my hand. William had Ronald hanging by his tie in the air. Uh oh...  
"Why have, I got Grell telling me you helped him!?" William said, cold expression now fully returned.  
"Ack! ...I swear, he only told me...he was going..ack..to do something...to make us laugh...Ack! Ugh.. I swear!" Ronald gagged, trying to prize the tie from around his ever constricting throat.  
He held him there a bit longer, till his attempts to gain air started becoming feeble and then he threw him back over my desk and he hit the wall...that was cold, even for William, but considering the state he was just in I sort of understand.  
William walked back into his office quickly, probably to fix his tie...  
I turned round to a gasping Ronald, slumped against the wall, panting for breathe, funny as we sometimes, don't breathe while we sleep...  
"Ugghhhh...He really doesn't like me..." Ronald puffed.  
"No, it's not that, you just made a bad decision, and got punished for it." I stated, pushing my glasses up with my index finger.  
"You are so much like him it scares me." Ronald said.  
"Am not." I chuckled punching his arm.  
He jokingly rubbed it and made a really cheesy fake pain face.

**_Later on in the staff kitchen with Alan, making proper tea._**  
"So he asked you to a party, well then I'd say tonight's the night to make a move." Alan stated, pouring the hot water into the cups.  
"I suppose, but if all goes tit's up it will ruin everything." I sigh.  
"God sake Elanora, why do you keep thinking that he doesn't like you, why wouldn't he." Alan sighed.  
"Cause again, he likes a lot of women that aren't me!" I hiss.  
"Ok lets talk about the real problem." "I don't know what you're talking about." I say.  
"Well for start you're worried your whole fear might push him away, then you feel like he might break your heart and then you have that thing about being tan, even though that is just your natural skin colour, besides with you being a reaper, the skin tone has turned a sort of paler colour. Besides you have very nice skin and none of us care anyway, just cause you heard something once while out on assignment doesn't mean you have to take it to heart, were reapers not them." Alan frowned slightly.  
"I was about to tell you to shut it, but then that would just be me being in denial, yes all those things are true, but the one that stands out most for me is the heart break part, he's my best friend, that would change." I sighed unhappily.  
"You can't fall further than the bottom, so basically if it all goes wrong you only have to fall to the bottom, if you understand the context."  
"Yes...I understand." I said picking up the tea and passing it around, placing one cup on each desk and then returning to my own to enjoy my "Alcohol free beverage" I sipped my tea and then set my head down on my desk. I had finally finished my paper work and felt really tired, so I nodded off to sleep. Big mistake.

The same thing again, Pain, I'm drowning over and over again, it's like a damn cycle.

"Elanora!" I heard someone shout...Ronald, yeah...Ronald was with me that day.  
"Elanoraa!" Again.  
"Wake up!"  
"Elanora!"

I sit bolt up right, to find myself in the lounge. The hell?!  
And I'm laying on the sofa and then there's Ronald and Alan. A cold sweat sends shivers down my spine and it takes me a moment to re-adjust. I rub my head, groggily trying to wake up.  
"You scared me, what the arse were you dreaming about?!" Ronald asked. Staring straight into my eye's again so he gets a truthful answer.  
I don't want to answer. I don't want to look weak.  
"You fell asleep so we decided not to leave you at your desk and bring you here, Ronald carried you." Alan added.  
"When we put you down we decided to stay for a bit and read or whatever, then you started jerking and mumbling and it looked like you were going into convulsions!" Ronald explained, a worried look on his face.  
"How bad was this one?" Alan asked.  
"The worst I've had in a long time..." I admit.  
"Why now?" Ronald asked.  
"I think it's because it actually looked back on the memory rather than just the pain."  
"What do you mean?" Alan asked.  
"I heard the voices, of that day I heard what people were saying, people calling me, Ronald was there." I whisper.  
A pained look flashes on Ronald's face for a brief second, I would have missed it, if I wasn't paying attention.  
"Let it go for now, any way we can clock off now and you two have a party to get ready for." Alan says.  
"That's right it's five now! That means we have 2 hours till I pick you up." Ronald shout's grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the door.  
I wave to Alan who gives we a cheeky wink.

**_2 hour's later._**  
I had put on a dress with Red puffed sleeves, clack outer corset, white bodice and skirt, with a think red coat over the skirt. My hair tied up with my blue ribbon, though not in a high pony tail, but in a loose sort of ponytail, that parts of my hair naturally fall out. I heard a knock at my door and quickly fixed my dress and then put on my necklace. It was a small chain with a blue gem in the middle. I straightened up and opened the door. There stood Ronald, Red tie black waistcoat, grey jacket and black trousers with red shoes. WOW!

"Hi Ronald."

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
WOW! I couldn't take my eye's off her, she looked so beautiful. It's like she fell from heaven or somethin'.  
"Ronald...Ronald!" I heard my name being called and snapped out of my daze, she looked at me confused.  
"Oh, sorry...you look amazing!" I smiled. Just acting cool has always served me well...except now, I feel differently about her...  
"Oh you look great too." She said. Hiding her cheeks with her hair. Cute...  
"Stop acting shy it's only me!" I said hugging her. She tensed for a moment and then returned the favour.  
Tonight's the night! I'm going to pull her under mistletoe, then she has to kiss me! Then I'll tell her!

**_At the Venue_**  
We had found a table to sit at and I had found a place to get drinks, it was a jolly affair, lots of people drinking and dancing in general having a good time. I handed her a drink and she smiled. We sat down and talked, laughing most of the time. Then I heard a certain song starting to play and decided now was the time to make my move. I grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor.  
She looked a little nervous at first.  
"Come on, you know how to dance don't you?" I asked.  
"Of course I know how to dance!" She smiled nervously, uh oh...

**_Elanora's Flashback_**  
"Ok I'm here what did you call me for?" Alan said, sitting on my lounge chair.  
"You know how Ronald's taking me to that party?" I sighed.  
"Yes, yes I do."  
"Well, here's the thing...I can't really dance..." I admitted.  
"Oh..." Alan said.  
"So I was wondering..."  
"If I would teach you." Alan smiled.

And for the next hour and a half Alan taught me how to dance, it was hard, how could I avid steeping on your partners foot, to move fluidly, but when I thought about it how can I not dance if I can do backflips while in combat and be really agile. "Great, your doing it!" Alan smiled. I was over joyed! Alan had taught me to dance!  
"Oh Alan thank you!" I beamed.  
"No problem, now you go and get him!" Alan smiled.  
I looked at the clock! GOOD GOD I ONLY HAD HALF AN HOUR TO GET READY!  
"Oh crap!" I screamed, dashing to find my dress and hair brush. Alan had to help me find all my stuff...Which pissed him off a bit.

**_Back to Ronald at the present._**  
I took her hand and place my other on her waist and we began to waltz. I don't know what she was so nervous about, she was amazingly graceful and so light and easy to spin. I must have twirled her around at least a dozen times, just to see the dress swirl around her elegant form. I started moving us near the window, towards the mistletoe, a beautiful snowing scene almost pained on the outside, setting the mood perfectly. This is it!

Gently spinning her one last time as the music reached it's peak and it was soon to end, we both looked up at the mistletoe. Her cheeks were dusted a slight shade of pink, I myself was a little hot under the collar, that's for sure!  
"I...I've never been kissed before..." She spoke softly, I almost didn't catch it and wouldn't have if I hadn't been looking at her soft lips.  
I started leaning closer to her, she doing the same.  
"Really?" I whispered. Yes!  
"No..." We were only inches away, our lips about to make contact...  
"Good, that I've found you Reapers, Knox and Hawthorn." NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  
We both turned around to see William! His cold stare turning into an even colder glare in my direction...SHIT!  
I shivered slightly, well that's my life over.

**_Elanora P.O.V_**  
NOOOOOOO! You have got to be JOKING ME!  
"William!" I shrieked. God he'll kill him.  
"I, uh what are you doing here!?" Ronald asked, laughing nervously. Poor Ronald...I don't want William to kill him.  
"Awwww Will you're no fun!" Grell sulked.  
PLEASE GOD NO!  
"Hi." Eric said stepping out from behind Grell, Alan close behind him.  
Oh...I know where this is going...I'm supposed to be having a good time and I'm getting roped into doing over time!  
"You probably know what I'm going to ask you." William said, pushing up with glasses with his scythe.  
"I hate you with the fire of a thousand suns." I growled. I didn't care anymore I was pissed off!  
Alan and Eric just stared at me wide eyed, grell was laughing, Ronald had taken up the same appearance as Eric and Alan, while William just stayed the same.  
"And how do you mean?" William asked.  
"The first bloody night off I have in months, a nice party, a good time out, no stress, no fighting Grell, no head hurting paper work or spiked tea and then while I'm out I'm being asked to work bloody overtime!" I screech, not loud enough to pull outsiders attention but enough to give the others a bloody good head ache.

"We have been told to take the collection of 36 souls tonight, most importantly, they are over half the guests here and they all die of the same heart attack. This should not be happening as the tolls don't stack up properly, because the first one we found outside in the snow was without a soul." William explained.

"Fine, we'll help..." I sighed in defeat, off duty or on it's my job as a reaper to investigate.

"Ok, lets split into pair's Ronald dear boy your coming with me." Grell smirked. Thank the Lord it wasn't William.

**_Later on_**  
"I know you feel really upset." Eric said, walking along side me.  
"Upset huh?" I sighed.  
"Well maybe upsets not the word more like devastated." He corrected.  
"Sure..." I mumbled.  
"He didn't mean to he's just looking out for ya." Erica explained, though he sympathised with my situation.  
"Looking out for me huh?" "Don't be like that, of course he's worried, you like his little sister, he was your teacher and you his student, Ronald is a bit of a player, so he is in a way right to be concerned." Eric explained.  
I get why, I just don't like how he did it!

**_William P.O.V_**  
"She didn't mean it you know!" Alan said, walking next to me.  
"I don't know what your talking about." I said ,the same expression on my face as always.  
"She doesn't really hate you, she was just annoyed ,that you ruined her first kiss." Alan said.  
First kiss? Oh dear...  
"Hmm... and what if I were to say that Ronald was a bit of a ladies man and not suited for a meaningful relationship with a lady such as Elanora?" I said.  
"That, would be duly noted, but that is you opinion, you might be her superior and once her teacher, but still it is her life to do what she pleases." Alan said.  
"I see."

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
I frowned lagging behind old man Sutcliff. This is bloody Rubbish!  
"Come on cheer up! There will be other times!" Sutcliff said.  
"Not like this time!" I mumbled sadly.  
She might have said yes when I asked her, she might have been in my arms at this moment in time, dancing the night away and all our cares along with it!  
"Come on...It's not like he killed you or anything, you were lucky, he might have beaten you black and blue!" He yelled dramatically.  
"And you know what I would have gladly taken it!" I said more determined than ever!  
"Oh how ROMANTIC, LIKE THE FORBIDDEN LOVE BETWEEN ROMEO AND JULIET!" Sutcliff swooned.  
"Yeah, yeah...Wait, I thought you were under house arrest, how come you were in work today and now?" I asked. One of Grell's punishments was that he was under house arrest.  
"I snuck in today and at the end got told off a lot by William and then got called in as special measures today, but they gave me scissors for a death scythe of horrible!" Ha, now that has cheered me up a bit.

As we walked on the balcony of the upstairs we found a dead girl. I forgot my scythe!  
"Oh here you go!" Grell smiled handing me my Scythe.  
"How!?" I ask astounded.  
"Later, now lets have us a look see." I mowed over the girl and the cinematic record flashed before us...but it was blank.  
"Wow! Blank again how miserable!" Grell sighed.

"Come on lets check the other rooms..." I sighed. I hate overtime, I hate missing a party, I have not getting the girl.

**_Elanora P.O.V_**

I heard a loud scream coming from one of the separate rooms on the upstairs, me and Eric rushed towards the sound, slamming the door open to reveal a woman in her early 20's, curled up and against the wall on the floor, long black hair in ringlets, her eye's a sort of stained glass, deep shade of purple.  
"Oh thank goodness! This thing attacked me!" She screamed running over to Eric. Looking her over again something was odd...  
Then William and Alan came in the room, followed by Grell and Ronald.  
"What's going on?" Alan asked.  
Then she turned around glaring at me, her eye's flashing pink!  
"Demon!" I shouted pulling out all of my Death Scythe.  
She started cackling and then pushed Eric into the wall and then flung herself at me.  
I threw a barrage of cards at her, she dodged most but I managed to make contact on her arms and legs, though this didn't stop her. I drew my rapier and swung it across her making a vertical slash and as she swung her claws at me, I jumped away flipping over her and then tried to land a critical, blow but she moved and I missed, managing to slam me into the wall with a loud crack of bricks.  
"Elanora!?" Ronald yelled.  
"Awwww, reapers always spoil the fun...Never seen a female one though..." She spoke, her voice turning from sweet to shrill, that sound that grates upon your ear worse than building work. She looked over in my direction as I was standing up, If she ruined this dress! "What's vermin such as yourself doing here?" William said as he sent his scythe slamming straight into the demon.

She turned around her eye's almost burning holes through him. Alan had come over to help me up and that's when it all went wrong.  
Seeing this she turned and while Alan's back was turned she used this time to strike, throwing a knife at him. Looking straightforward I pushed Alan out of the way and flung a card at the knife. This distracting everyone she used this as the opportunity to go for the closet person to her... Ronald. Within seconds, she had sprung upon him, trying his best to deflect her with his lawn mower. Eric, slowly starting to come around, could not fully stand up yet and wobbled slightly. I sprang up only to be beaten by Alan, death scythe in hand, she started to fight her, knives clashing against his scythe, she looked crazed almost, she suddenly side stepped one of Alan's attacks and in this he decided to use full force against her... she threw him down too, he crumpled to the floor in agony, to the point that he looked like he was going to scream, shit the thorns! Oh God he over did it! "Alan!" I yelled as I ran over. William had now joined Ronald in the fight and the two of them were doing well against her. Ronald's brute attacks complimented William's precise ones to a degree, making it harder for the demon to move, giving her the disadvantage.  
"Alan!" Eric stumbled over to us.  
At this point Alan was clutching his chest and almost gasping for breath, this had to be one of the worst I had ever seen . It came in bursts of frequent attacks, it seeming to slow down and then becoming more ecstatic and painful, every time Alan's breathing reduced to short ragged gasps. "Watch out!"  
I turn round to see a dozen knives coming in our direction. I pull out my full deck of cards and throw them to correct their path away from us.  
"Oooooh I like her!" The demon yelled happily.  
Grell tried to attack, but was flung into the wall about eight times like a bouncy ball.  
"Eric, you have Alan don't you, I'm going to help Ronald and William." I said coldly, this bitch demon!  
I pull out my rapier and join the fight, managing to slide past the demon, and land a blow to the back of her leg, but she doesn't falter, instead as William extends his death scythe she uses it to fling herself around and send it smashing into me and William, Knocking us to the floor, just before Ronald realised, she had him up against the wall in a tight strangle hold. He scrambled trying to kick her off, but his attempts became feeble and weak.  
"Oh your a handsome one aren't you, Want to have some fun?" The demon said pushing her body closer to him, Ronald began to shake with a mixture of Disgust and air deprivation.  
"Ronald! Get off of him!" I growled.  
"The other guests downstairs were so boring I was done with they're souls instantly, but your much more fun." She giggled.  
"Let him go!" I got even more angry, Ronald trying his hardest to keep calm and escape. Which isn't his specialty.  
"Well, here's the deal! I'll let him go if I get a match with you only!" She smiled.  
Great! No back up, superior opponent, hostage situation, Crazy Demon Bitch and a nice dress I don't want to ruin.  
If I do this, then it mean's Ronald will be all right. That's what I want...  
"Fine...Just put him down." I sighed. She threw him against the wall and he lay there unconscious. "Now I have you're word Grim Reaper, no outsiders just you and me!?" She asked.  
"You have my word as a Grim Reaper...Just you and me." I raised my tone. I was determined to win.

"El...Elanora!?" Alan yelled.  
"No! I gave my word, that was the deal, as long as everyone is safe than I'm at peace with that." I spoke.  
"And what if you loose?" The demon grinned.  
"Then my game had ended, and my tower of cards will fall at my death...I only pray that my friend's lay a rose on my coffin for me." "You're so cryptic!" She screeched lunging at me. I waited patiently till the last second and then stepped to the side sending my leg into her stomach and then twisting to shove my rapier into her back.  
She screamed and I shoved it in another couple of times, she staggered and then without any signs of warning hit me in the chest and sent me flying back wards. Screaming still she ran towards me and I threw one bladed rose straight into her stomach, then using the strings that hold all three parts of my scythe together; the Rapier, the cards and the roses. I dragged the rose along creating at long bloody gash in her stomach, she fell to the floor.  
"I swear...I'll make you pay!" She screamed, Running out and jumping out of the window into the night. William, ran after her to follow, but she was already long gone.  
"Elanora!" I heard Ronald yell as he came over to help me up.  
"I...I'm fine, please don't worry." My voice shook slightly as I wobbled up only to sway and fall into Ronald. I could faintly see Red hand marks around his neck.  
"No you're not." William said, turning around.

"Alan!?"I called over.  
Alan was already sat up and recovering.  
"Don't worry about me!" Alan smiled slightly. How could he smile after he felt such pain, Alan sure is an amazing guy!

Being helped down stair's we see what the demon meant by bored, 34 bodies lay on the hall floor, plus the two makes we found makes 36, all without a soul to be reaped.

Everyone left except me and Ronald...What a mess our fun night had become...  
"I know this might sound really strange to you..." Ronald started.  
"It's pretty twisted, but why not." I sighed.

And for those moments we simply danced around the dead, it was sick and twisted, but at the same time a fitting way to send them off, though most of their souls were gone, everyone else had fled, when people started dropping of hear attacks.

This isn't the last time we'll be seeing her anyway...


	4. Revenge,Tradgedy End of the card game?

Running over to the wall as Eric swung his scythe in my direction I ran up and then used the surface to spring off, doing a back flip over his head and then landing in a crouched position, put my foot out and swiped him off of his feet, taking the opportunity to kick his scythe away and then throw a barrage of cards making a perfect outline of Eric, though none touched him. I stood over him, my rapier pointed at his throat.  
"Ok...Ok, you win, now can you stop smirking and help me up!" Eric sighed as I retracted the card and sheathed my rapier. I then stuck out a hand to help him up.  
"Nice...Elanora beat Eric- senpai!" Ronald gasped. Wow, nice to know you have faith in me Ronald.  
"Shut it!" Eric pouted. Alan patted him on the shoulder.  
"Don't worry about it, you know that girls are more flexible than men." Alan laughed.  
"Yeah, they sure are." Ronald smirked, perversely. I smacked him upside the head.  
"Ow I'm sorry!" Ronald whined, rubbing the back of his head.

"So no one thought to invite me to this little party." We all turned around slowly to see William.  
"William-Senpai." Ronald shuddered slightly.  
"It seems like your having a winner takes all match." He said turning his head to the table on the far side of the room. We were in the training centre at the moment. The centre most reapers use to train with their death scythe's or combat training.

"Well yeah, you were busy, we didn't want to disturb you." I said.  
I'm still annoyed about the ruining the kiss thing a week or two ago, but I'm a bit at peace with it. "I wish to participate." William said.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittt!

"Ok, well Elanora, seems to be winning at the moment, she's taken down Eric. Now she's going to fight me! And who ever wins goes up against Alan and then you, cause your our superior." Ronald explained.  
William nodded and then went to go and take a seat near the table with Eric and Alan.

"Ok, rules, win by any PRACTICAL means, this means that no breaking of bones, stabbing, cutting or anything like that." Alan said.  
"Ready! Set! Go!" Eric yelled.

Ronald attacked first, ramming his lawn mower to where he thought I was, unfortunately I had already moved around it and swung my blade at it, he tipped the mower upwards to shield from my attack and then swung it around while I was preparing for another blow, he was powerful, but his attacks can be messy, which gives me the upper hand, that and his lawn mowers weakness.  
"Come on Elanora! Is that really it, what happened to the famed female Reaper I hear all the students talk about!" Ronald yelled.  
Yeah, being one of the only female Reapers and a high ranking dispatch officer means you get your name thrown around quiet a lot, silly stories about how powerful people think I am and stuff. Just student legends.

"Say's you! Come on, do you really want overtime!" I retorted.

This made him go even faster than before, his attacks getting stronger and faster, not to mention more precise.

Deciding to go for a less hands on approach I pulled out three throwing roses.  
"Now were cooking." Ronald smirked.  
I sent to flying towards his legs, just as I expected he jumped over them and straight towards me, then summersaulting over Ronald's next attack I sent my knee straight into his stomach, He can take it! Then using this to propel myself away flicked my leg up to make contact with the bottom of him chin.  
"Ow! Why the chin?! That's bloody sneaky!" Ronald yelled holding his chin.  
"When you use the lawn mower in a vertical motion it leaves the rest of you exposed." I said.  
"Ok...I get the point!" He wailed.  
" No I don't think you do!" I said.  
He took this as the time to try to land an attack, just as I had predicated, as his smile grew wider and lawn mower growing closer, I changed my fake scared look to a evil smirk, but it was too late for poor Ronald to react. I drew one of my cards and threw it into the lawn mower, with a loud, crunching and pained sound, it went silent, signalling that it had stopped working.  
"You've got to be bloody joking me!" Ronald yelled angrily . "I told you that you didn't get the point! Because you don't guard your weak spot, it makes it all too easy to render your attacks useless." I explained.

"Fine then I guess I'll just have to throw down, fist cuffs?" He asked.  
"Fair enough." I said laying my weapons on the ground.

As always he attacked first, predicting where my guard would be and then feigned striking my face and as I tried to shield my face, when to strike my stomach, while this distracted me he send a kick into my back sending me to the floor. Regardless of me and Ronald being the best of friends, when it comes to fighting against one another we don't hold out! That's the way it's always been since the start.

As he stalked over to me I managed to catch his shoe and trip him, but he landed right on top of me! Seizing the opportunity Ronald pinned my arms to the floor.  
"So, I guess I win!" He smirked.  
"You forgot something!" I smiled.  
His face went from victorious to confused...He didn't pin down my legs!  
I sent my knee straight into Ronald's crotch, rolled off me clutching his crotch in pain, I jumped up and drew my sword, pointing it at him.  
"Never, ever pin down a lady without doing it properly, I thought you of all people would know that." I smirked.

I heard clapping behind me.  
"Wow! You can tell you were William's student, that was cold even for you Elanora!" Ronald hissed.  
"Sorry." I said, helping him off the floor, he stood a little awkwardly, ok I do feel sort of bad.  
"And you've broken my death scythe!" He ranted.  
"Please! I haven't broken it, I just jammed it, I'm really gunna sacrifice part of my death scythe to destroy yours, not!" I said, using a string to pull out the card that was trapped inside it.

"I think I'm going to sit this one out..." Alan frowned slightly.  
Thank God! I don't want to hurt him or have him over do it! It's not like fighting with Eric or Ronald, I worry that I might push him to an extent that might kill him.

"Cause you saw how cold she is?!" Eric laughed, smacking Alan on the back.  
Alan didn't say anything.

"So I guess..." Alan trailed off looking towards William.  
"It's me and you Senpai..." I said.  
"Indeed."

"Teacher versus Student show down!" Ronald shouted.

"Begin!"

This fight's different. I've learnt most of everything I know from William. He was tasked with being my guardian, my mentor. I was on the offensive this time, all of Williams attacks being so precise that it made it hard for me to dodge. I continued to counter each one with my rapier, then feeling a bit daring, I threw a barrage of cards, but he jumped away, deflecting the ones that I had sent in different directions. Before I knew it he was behind me, I had just enough time to counter with my rapier, but the force of the blow knocked me backwards sending me tumbling to the floor. I was way out matched. No matter how hard I try I can never compare to him, No matter what I do, but I WILL NEVER STOP TRYING! He uses his scythe to slam me into the wall another couple of times and then flips me over, I land awkwardly on my side, but get up anyway. As he turns a fling a card at what looks like his face, as he turns it in actual fact takes away his glasses.

I then use this time to trip him and try to kick his death scythe away, but he grabs my ankle and flips me over, unfortunately his glasses didn't land too far away and when he put his hand out he found them, by this time I was already back on my feet. "How troublesome." He groaned.

"Same position as always, Elanora Hawthorn." William says. Swinging his scythe past me, I mange to avoid it by jumping over and then throwing a rose past his ear and another to deflect his scythe a little longer.  
"I won't give Sempai!" I say.  
"That's the spirit..."  
He extends his scythe in my direction again and this time I jump over it using this time to attack, it has about a 2 second retract delay, this is the window I must use, running past it I aim as solid punch into William's stomach, if . He tripped and I took this time to point my rapier at his throat. "Well Well you've improved since the last time." William said. I feel like I'm forgetting something, it's never that easy to take down a seasoned Reaper such as William!  
"I've had to-"  
"And yet you still lack." Before I could react I turned around and met Williams, extended death scythe head first... and then black.

"Hey look she's waking up!" Ronald smiled.  
"Uh...OW!" I yelled rubbing my aching head.  
"So you're awake." William said. I was on the training centre floor...Oh yeah I lost! How embarrassing!  
"Oh yeah now I remember." I say rubbing my head.  
"Yeah 15 minutes later, in account of what just happened maybe you shouldn't try using your head this time." Alan chuckled.  
"I didn't intend to use my head for THAT! I said, cocking my head towards William's death scythe.  
"How do you feel?" Ronald asked.  
"Like Semapai hit me with his death scythe- HOW DO YOU THINK!" I yelled.  
This caused Eric and Alan to laugh.  
"Oh Elanora, your such a fragile little flower." Ronald said.  
That's it. I sprang up and started strangling him. I don't care if my heads pounding I'M NOT FRAGILE!  
"Ela-Elanora, can't br-breathe,...Ack.. you're hurt-hurting me." Ronald chocked.  
"I'm not Fragile!" I yelled.  
"Blue...Delphinium flower." He coughed out. That's the nick name he gave me when we passed our Reaper exam. Also the reason why he calls me Fragile flower.

I smiled and let go.  
He coughed and wheezed. Trying to get his breath back.  
"I'm sorry damn it!" He coughed.  
"Apology accepted. " I smiled.

**_In the office_**  
"Ms Hawthorn, might I have a word." William said.  
OH CRAP WHAT DID I DO, WHAT DID RONALD DO!  
"Yes Sempai." I said, getting up from my chair and walking through the hall to William's office.  
I shut the door behind me and stood in front of his desk.  
"You wanted to speak with me." I said coolly.  
"Yes, have a seat." He said finishing a piece of a piece of paperwork.

Silence.

"So you have feelings for Ronald Knox." He said bluntly.  
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  
"WHO TOLD YOU!?" I shrieked.  
"Mr Humphries explained to me, that was also the reason why you were truly angry at me, because I ruined your first kiss." He looked into my eyes for an answer.  
I bowed my head in shame.  
"Yes."  
"I apologize for ruining something important to you and ruining your night off, Even exemplary Reapers need a night off." He said.  
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!  
Ok that's new.  
"I apologize for being rude to you on that evening as well, I don't hate you I was just upset Sempai." I say, bowing deeply.  
He nods and then continues.  
"He might break your heart." "I know Sempai." I sigh.  
"Your positive your not just hormonal?" He asks bluntly.  
"What! No...I have for a while now." I hide my face in my hair.  
"Very well then." He says.  
"Yes Sempai." I bow and then leave and walk back into the offices.

"Elanora what happened?" Alan asks.  
"You. ME. LOUNGE. NOW." I growl.

He gets up and follows me, we make sure we close the door behind us.  
"You told him!" I growled.  
"Ok, before you murder me... He was catching on any way so I thought that it would be best if it didn't come as a surprise." He said. stepping back a little.  
"Fine, but no one else can know." I sigh flopping onto the sofa.  
"Deal." He says. "Now were here I've been meaning to ask, how are you?" I ask.  
"In what way?"  
I stay silent, I don't know how much of a sensitive subject it is.  
"Well... Okay I suppose." He says, not making eye contact with me.  
I raise my eye brows at him.  
"It hurts..." He admits.  
"I see more than most of the time?"  
"When I do something like get in a full on fight." He sighs.  
"Alan...Why didn't you tell me or Eric-Sempai?" I ask.  
"It weighs heavy on you minds, I see it, like today during that fight, I could see you and Eric shift uncomfortably when I said I wanted to participate." He sighed.  
"I see, what ever you think about you being a burden don't! You're one of the most capable Reapers I've ever known. You just need to take it easy."  
"It's going to kill me eventually."  
"Don't talk like that." I say. I didn't realise how much this was upsetting me. I could feel the tears brimming at my eye's.  
"Think about it, were born alone and we die alone, that's how it is. There's going to be a time that I'm not going to fight anymore, at least not yet anyway, all I know is it's going to happen at some point." He looked down. I couldn't take it anymore, I could feel the tears running down my cheeks. I don't want that! None of us want Alan to die! He holds this group together, Eric would be heart broken if Alan died! This place wouldn't be the same. Alan's one of my best friends, he's always there to help or understand, he's funny and kind an Exemplary Reaper! He doesn't deserve to die!

"Elanora please don't cry." Alan said sitting next to me.  
I looked into his eye's and I could see so many things; pain, fear, happiness. It's not fair!  
I couldn't stop the tears.  
"Oh Elanora..." He said hugging me. I held on for a while. I must have thought that if I let go he wouldn't be there.  
"I'm still here silly." He chuckled.  
I wiped my eye's with my sleeves.  
"Ok, but what you're saying is a long way off, you've come this far!" I choked.

In the end, loneliness is the only thing we know...Isn't it?

**_The next day!_**  
"Sempai!" I said, running over to William.  
"Yes Elanora?"  
"The totals for the south end of London don't match, more people have lost their lives, but their is no soul or cinematic record to collect." I explain, handing him the charts.  
"I see, are you sure it's her?" He asks, flicking through the charts.  
"Yes Sempai, all the cases match, with no soul or cinematic record and all have either died by heart attack or stabbed, it fit's a demon's motives perfectly, most importantly one of the reapers reported seeing a woman with black hair and purple eye's killing a child in a back alley.  
"Then I give this case to you, you are in charge of this assignment, take Eric, Alan and Ronald with you. Kill the Demon!" William said, pushing up his glasses.  
"Yes sir!" I say, bowing and then turning around and walking back to my desk to pick up my Death scythe.  
"Elanora?" Alan asked.  
"We've been assigned the task of dealing with the Demon who has been stealing the souls we were supposed to collect, thus un balancing our records." I stated clearly.  
"Elanora shall be heading this assignment, what she says goes is that clear?" William spoke...He's so sneaky.  
"Yes sir." All three of them said.  
"I have just been told to join as well, Grell's incompetence again." William sighed.  
"Then you are heading this mission Sempai?" I asked.  
"In a way, but you shall take a lead role in this one."  
"Very well, then lets go." I said.

Walking through the realm portal we found it was unbelievably cold, even for winter. "This smells like a demon." Eric said.  
"It's freezing!" Ronald shivered.  
"For what's to come I'm sure we'll get warmed up." I said.

**_London's streets._**

"There, Get her!" I shouted as she flew down the back passage ways, me and Ronald in hot pursuit.  
She suddenly took a blind turn and then nothing.  
"Where did she go!?" Ronald puffed. Poor thing I made him run faster than he has his entire life...I'm a bit of a slave driver when it comes to leading. I had decided to split the group, William heading Eric and Alan and me with Ronald.

Suddenly there were shouts from the other group who must have engaged her!  
"Come on!" I yelled."  
"You've got to be joking!" Ronald heaved as he ran after me.  
Just as we turned the corner I had Eric slam into me sending us both into the wall!  
"Ow!" I yelled.  
Getting up there she was, white blood stained dress and a black cloak with red lace accents.  
"Ooooh it's you! Fun, but I don't have the time right now! Maybe another time!" She cackled, jumping onto a roof and fleeing the scene.  
"Wait!" I shouted running after her, but she was again long gone.

"Great." I groaned. "Lost her." Alan sighed.  
"Well she only seems to strike at night and there are no more scheduled deaths for now, so we will have to wait." William said flicking through his to-die list.  
"Very well, I think we should go home." Ronald yawned.  
"Yes, we shall begin again tomorrow." William nodded.  
"First Elanora, your arm." Alan said, pointing to the gash in my arm.  
"Oh I didn't know I said." Weird why didn't I feel that.

I sat on the ground while Alan got out his medical kit, not being able to go out in the field much means he knows more about medicine than the rest of us.

Gently wiping the cut clean, though it stung like crazy!"Ok, now I'm going to stitch it back up." He said pulling out a needle...Shit!  
"Ok." I sighed.  
He inserted it in my arm and started to pull the wound closed.  
"Holy, AH, Mother- Hngggghhh!" I hissed in pain.  
"What you thought it was going to be like angel kisses?" Alan teased.  
Great, now I have to mend this jacket and wear my other jacket to work tomorrow.

**_Walking home, back in the Reapers realm of London._**

Walking with Ronald I sighed, this is going to weigh heavily on my mind now, Innocent people are dying not all of the ones murdered were on the to-die list, many are little children that are out trying to sell things in the dead of night to anyone who's still out. Many other are people walking home, to families or loved ones...Then there's what Alan said to me...I don't want him to die...Then there is the nightmare, only now it's not a nightmare, it comes in flashes at random times of the day, it's like I'm loosing my mind!

"What's wrong?" Ronald asked.  
"Nothing." I said, pushing my glasses up with my index finger.  
"Lies, tell me." He pestered.  
"Nothing." I growl.  
"Elanora tell me." He raises his voice a little.  
"No!" "Why!?" He shouts "Ronald stop!" I yell.  
"Why do you keep things from me!? Why won't you let me in!?"  
"What do you mean!? Because!?"  
"Tell me!?" He shouts grabbing my wrists, it's a tight hold that burns my wrists.  
"Because, it will drag you down with me!" I cry.  
"What?" "It hurts all the time, it never goes away NEVER! Not When I sleep, dream, even in the day it flashes in my mind! No one needs to feel that burden but me!"  
"Why just you!?" Ronald exclaimed.  
"Ronald you don't understand!" I cried.  
"Than make me!" He yelled.  
"No! Ronald Stop it! Just let it go!"  
"Stop lying to me Elanora!" "Ronald drop it stop being such an insensitive arse hole! This is why I don't tell you! "  
"I'm insensitive?!"  
"Yes, you date every girl you meet and then dump them with total disregard for their feelings!"  
"Don't even-"  
"So what!? You want a straight forward answer for everything from me!?" I yelled "You know what yes, because it's the only way I can get any sense out of that STUPID, IDIOT INSANE, FREAKY, MENTAL, CRAZY HEAD OF YOUR'S! HOW DO PEOPLE PUT UP WITH YOU?! NO WONDER PEOPLE DON'T COME NEAR YOU! YOU KNOW WHY THE STUDENTS TELL STORIES ABOUT YOU CAUSE YOU'RE A BLOODY NUTCASE YOU KNOW THA!-" He stopped clutching his hands over his mouth.

Insane...Freaky...Mental...Nutcase...Crazy...

I didn't have a come back for that one. I just felt the tears roll down my cheeks. Is that what he really thinks of me? I am a burden...  
"Elanora... I-" Ronald couldn't even finish before I had taken off down the street. Managing to breathe through my sobs making myself fast enough for him to be unable to catch up with me.  
"Elanora!"

I pull out my keys and let myself in my house, making sure to pull the book case over the door so he can't get in, even if he has a key.  
I sit in my living room, just crying...Am I really a stupid idiot? I have to be mad, If no one wants to put up with me I have to be a problem.  
Ronald...How can I make you understand if you think I'm all these things.

Click!  
He tries to get in with his key, but I blocked the door.

Bang!  
Bang!  
"Elanora!" He shouts.  
"Elanora, please open the door!"  
"Elanora!"

"No...NO GO AWAY RO-RONALD." I shout through sobs.  
"Please, I didn't mean it!" He shouts.  
"GO AWAY!"  
"Please just let me in!" He continues.

I don't say anything anymore, I just wait for the banging to subside and the foot steps telling me that he left, then I walk up to my room and just lay on the bed, motionless, just staring at the ceiling.

They all think I'm a nut cause huh?

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
"YOU DID WHAT!?" I heard Alan-Sempai shout through the telephone.  
"Please, just go round and talk to her." I say.  
"Fine...what the hell is wrong with you!?" Alan says coldly.  
"I didn't mean any of it! It's just when she called me an Arse hole and started saying I was insensitive and didn't understand, I sort of snapped on her and thought of something to say back, but then it all exploded at once, I was just mad that she was keeping things from me." I sigh.

What have I done!?

" Like she's going to tell any one anything now, she thinks we all think she's crazy!" Alan says coldly.  
"I know I've been a wanker just please go round and see if she's okay."  
"Well she's not going to be okay so that's a stupid thing to say."  
"Alan-Sempai!" I yell.  
"Alright I'm going." He says as he puts the phone down.

Why did I say those things to her, they aren't even true, no one thinks that, not even the new recruits cause they don't know. She was right though, I am insensitive. I've been such an idiot, please forgive me Elanora

**_Flash back_**  
"Well you both needed a catchphrase." Sutcliff said. Showing us his.  
"Go on Ronald." She smiled.  
Oh great mine sucks!  
"The Names Ronald Knox, THE NEXT DIE HARD REAPER!" I shouted striking a pose.  
"AAHAHAH...I...I'm sorry Ronald...Never do that AHAHA again!" Elanora laughed her arse off.  
"Shut it, I couldn't think of anything so I got a bird from accounting to come up with something." I sigh rubbing the back of my head.  
"Anyway if you condemn mine yours has to be worse!" I smile.  
"Well okay then!" She smirks, turning her back towards us she turns suddenly striking the usual pose.  
"If you play your cards right, I might just let you live..." She said flashing her full deck of cards at us. "Or maybe not!" She says throwing two in our direction. She retracts them and hold the pose...That's actually kind of hot...Wait that's my best friend!  
"Ok you win!" I sigh in defeat.  
"Don't worry Ronald, I'll help you think of a better one!" She smirks.

**_Elanora P.O.V_**  
I heard foot steps enter my room and say bolt upright immediately and then looking up I saw Alan!"A-Alan! How did you get in?" I sighed.  
"Back door."  
"You don't have a key for the back door." I said.  
"No, but William-Sempai does." Alan said.  
Oh crap!  
And in came William! Why do I give my friends keys to my house!  
Great, I'm a crying mess and now I have my mentor/ boss and one of my friends seeing me like this!  
I buried my head in my pillow. "Ronald told me what happened." Alan said softly.  
"Well he's right though isn't he! I am a nut case!" I cry into the pillow. I feel like a stupid child but I don't know what else to do. It's now officially December 20th. My clock struck twelve with a loud pang.

"No. You most certainly are not!" I heard William say.  
"Then why do all the new recruits have all these stories?"  
"They don't."  
"Don't lie to me! I know I'm a burden!" I sob.  
"Were not and you're not" William said.  
"Elanora, look at me." Alan said as I felt him sit on the bed.  
I pulled my head out of the pillow and looked up, there was both Alan and William sat on either sides of my bed.  
"If you were as crazy as you think you are why would I let you head todays assignment or let you be a field officer." William smiled...HE SMILED JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL IT'S THE APOCOLYPSE!

"Why would we be friends with you if you were a pain, lets face it all of us have short tempers. Your not crazy, your just having a hard time and Ronald shouldn't have pushed you." Alan said.  
"He is a troublesome one." Senpai sighed pinching the bridge of his nose with his index finger.  
"Please do stop crying Elanora." Alan said softly.  
I nodded, maybe it was time to stop crying, IF HE THINKS IM CRAZY THEN I'LL SHOW HIM IM NOT!  
"Ok, so are you going to stop crying and get some sleep?" Alan asked.  
"Yeah, but I'm probably going to make tea if you want some." Really I just wanted their company.  
"Yes please." William said.

"So how do you feel about him now?" William asked, I'm almost positive that was a "Told you so."  
"I don't know anymore, It's weird." I say.  
"Well don't rush into anything, you can have a talk in the morning." Alan said.  
"I don't want to talk to him." I said quietly.  
"I see, well then that's your choice." Alan sighed.

**_The next morning Ronald P.O.V_**  
I yawned another dull morning, even worse is no Elanora to greet me. No warm smile or chirpy good morning.  
I take the elevator up to the offices floor and then get out walking to my desk.  
No Elanora yet that's weird.  
Then she walked in with William two seconds later. Crap!  
She sits at her desk and begins her paper work as usual, no hello, no mornin', no nothing.  
I get up and walk over to her desk stopping in front of it.  
She doesn't take her eyes off of her paperwork "Go away Ronald." She groans.  
"Please just liste-"  
"I'm busy, now piss off!" She growled...I've never heard her be that cold before and it stung.  
"Ela-""Are you deaf or something!" She continues.  
I walk back to my desk in defeat.

**_Elanora P.O.V Night assignment._**  
Following the path of dead bodies we made our way to Southwark bridge and there she stood, bloodied dress and cruel eyed, sucking the soul out of a child she tossed him over the edge and straight into the water below.  
"Oh wow, now we can play!" She screeched excitedly.  
"Were not here to play games were here to put a rabid dog down." I said.  
"How cruel!" She shouted.  
"Alan." I said.  
"Yes?" He asked.  
"I want you to avoid contact with her as much as possible, I don't mean to sound horrible, but at the same time please do not over do it." I explained.  
"Very well." Alan sighed, I felt bad, but still I would rather have him here annoyed than to have fought and died.

The demon turned around and started preparing for an attack. She came at me first using my surprise to leave me defenceless and hit me hard enough to knock the wind out of me. William then used her distraction as an opportunity to extend his scythe and slam her against the side of the bridge, I then threw my set of cards at her and while this kept her busy Ronald slammed in with his lawn mower. Keeping the pace going Eric went in with a vertical slash and then another, making her falter slightly, but not enough, grabbing hold of Eric's death scythe she twisted around and cut deeply into his leg and back and then sent him to the floor. He next attacks acting like a shadow in the dead of night, she's damned fast, her eye's glowing as she starts to engulf us in shadows one by one, each attack swift and unpredictable driving us into corners, frenzied efforts to get out made it harder and harder to predict her actions.  
He next attack sending one shadow straight into William, crushing his body against the hard floor grunts of suppressed agony escaping his lips as he tried to escape. Twisting his slightly she then sent another shadow to remove his death scythe. "S-Sempai!" I screamed. Throwing a large number of cards into her to keep her busy while Ronald went in for an attack. Shaving past the blade of his lawn mower she smiled as she consumed both him and William in shadows. This was unlike anything I hade ever seen a demon do...except one time...but even that wasn't this powerful.  
Eric went in for another attack followed by Alan, there was no use stopping him, after all he is higher than me, besides it's his life!  
Both of them holding her off long enough for me to land a slash across her legs with my rapier.  
She screamed, unleashing a dozen sets of clawed shadows batting us away from her. Then as they became more and more hostile we found ourselves surrounded, cut off from one another. "Keep talking I want to know you're still there!" I shouted.  
"Ok, What now Wha-" Eric was cut off suddenly.  
"Eric!" Alan yelled from behind me.  
No, NO NON NO NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING."  
"ALAN!" I yelled, my voice going from serious to unnerved and my old arm injury torn and bleeding.  
"Elanora HOLD ON WE HAVE TO- ACK!" Alan chocked suddenly.  
The shadows continued to close in, suffocating at the very touch, I began to hyperventilate. My agitation becoming obvious the shadows rip at my legs, deep white hot pain seeps through my body as I bite my lip, trying to muffle my screams of pain. And then the shadows suddenly recede. I gasp as fresh air meets my face only to hold my breath again to the horror that awaited my tear clouded eye's.

Ronald and William cut and bleeding deeply lent up against the wall, William looked on the verge of unconsciousness, his hair normally well combed matted in blood onto his face and deep wounds covered his legs and left shoulder. Ronald had a large gash on both his legs with hit right arm settle in an awkward position. Eric lay on the floor head and both legs bleeding...and then Alan, held by the throat with both feet off the ground, his face contorted in pain and his side lined with a straight cut, bleeding profusely.  
"Oh, this one has thorns eh? I wonder what else I can do to aggravate it?!" She smiled cruelly, summoning a shadow at her finger tips she gripped his throat tighter as she began to scrape another long line down his arm.  
"NO STOP IT!" I screamed.  
"Then do what I want." She smiled, drawing another bloody line, her blood curdling features contorting into a grin as she heard his cries of pain and he started shaking screaming more. THE THORNS!  
"WHAT? TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT, I'LL DO IT JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE!" I shouted.  
"I want a fight with you, No disruptions, no one else but you and me, I want to make you scream and suffer in pain and anguish, even more than you did all those years ago..." She sighed dramatically now prodding at Alan's torn flesh with her long skinny fingers and then suckling the blood she received from her finger.  
I felt myself retch. Not only for Alan, but how did she know about... It can't be her! I killed her! I made sure, I was prepared to die too if it meant I killed her, I was so sure!  
"Oh yes, you remember me now don't you!" She smiles.  
"I-I killed you!" I yell.  
"Yes you almost killed me, I still have the scars that don't seems to FADE AWAY!" She yells angrily.  
"How di-"  
"I'll greatly enjoy drinking your still warm blood, especially in front of your friends!"

Alan had began convulsing at this point, his chocked screams managing to squeeze through his constricting throat.  
"Unless you want them all to die?" She sighed.  
"STOP IT!...Fine, I'll give you what you want, just leave them alone." I whisper in defeat.  
"Now you see why I was never really targeting you! I've wanted a re-match since the day you tried to end my life!" She squealed, throwing Alan into the ground with a crack.  
"Another reason why the air is so cold, even for you reapers...because I. Make. It. So." She giggled.  
"I know what you are! Just shut up and come at me if your going to!" I yelled in rebellion.  
"Oh I HAVE THE PERFECT GIFT FOR YOU! Your friends death scythe." She grinned pulling out two long daggers.  
"No...No!" I gasped.  
Those belonged to a good friend of mine a long time ago...  
"So now I CAN DEFINATELY LEAVE LASTING DAMAGE!" She cackled, she was pissing me off with that even more.

I drew my rapier and set of cards, I don't care this time, I WILL KILL HER!  
"Ela-Elanora, w-what do you think your doing!?" Ronald asked starting to rouse from his unconscious state.  
"What do you think, it's her!" I said coldly.  
"No, you killed her! Elanora, ah, don't, Run-"  
"Shut up Ronald...IT'S MY LIFE AND MY GAME TO PLAY!" I Shout pointing my rapier straight towards her.  
"...SO IF YOU WANT ME HERE I AM, COME AND GET ME!" I yelled.  
"Excellent!" She screeched running towards me.  
Our blades clashed together in sparks as we fought for power aggressively trying win ground for ourselves. I jumped back using my cards to pierce her legs and arms enough to make them bleed. She started enclosing our area in shadows. I swung my sword with an over hand motion and I spun around the shadow cutting it with the move I had just made, then running on the bit still intact I ran towards her using her next attacks to propel me further until I reached her then using my rapier slit her skin from her neck to her thigh. Repeating this a few times before retreating back a meter as she wildly slashed at my arms, making more cuts in my already torn arm.  
She flings more clawed shadows this time harder to dodge and one hits me in the chest sending me crashing into the side of the bridge with a loud crack. I scream my arm shoulder sending a shooting pain through my body and my arm starts to go numb. I get to my feet managing to roll past the shadow that was directed at my head. I sent two roses which landed shallowly in her chest in return, using the strings that hold the scythe together to pull them across her chest making the cuts deeper, she begins to cough up blood and in a frenzied attempt to have one last shot at my life, sends an army of shadows at me I simply brush them away, manoeuvring my self enough to cut them down. She looks at me shocked.  
"I don't think you understand..." I growl darkly flicking my rapier out to the side wiping the demonic substance off my blade.  
"That you may not have my soul, nor will you escape punishment!" I shout as I run towards her.  
"Then I'll take his." She hissed propelling herself at a now rising Ronald, the stolen daggers drawn, he's to exhausted to move or notice until it's too late.  
"Ronald!" I scream as he turns around.  
I can't stop myself and I change my direction, slamming my body into his knocking him over and using my own body like a shield. She continues to push further until she pierces my stomach and rib cage with the knives, slamming me to the side of the bridge, pushing my body wonkily on the edge, I scream in pain as he twists the daggers occasionally pulling them out and then shoving them in deeper into my jerking body. I feel the warm trickle of blood escape my lips and cough trying to relive the pressure building up in my chest.  
"E-Elanora!" Ronald screamed.  
William is awake, his normal expression turned from a cold exterior to shock.  
"Oh Lord!" Alan gasps.  
"NO GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ronald screams, he takes a step towards me only for her to insert the daggers further, I scream, jerking in pain.  
" I love it when you scream, it's been years since I've heard that lovely scream of yours, I love the taste of your blood even blood even more." She says lapping up the blood from wounded shoulder. I shiver in disgust, I try to protest but only a whimper escapes my lips and my vision starts to go blurry.

I'm going to die...

I let the card I had hidden up my sleeve fall into my hand as my body starts to go limp, ironic card up my sleeve.  
"Funny...I-I'm really good at most car-card games..." I cough.  
"What are you on about?" She sighs.  
"I-In the end, my only card left in the had dealt...to me -is my -Ace..o-of spades." I manage as I use the last of my strength to shove the card directly though her heart. She screams and pushes herself away from me, falling the ground dead.  
"Elanora!" Ronald yells as he gets up and tries to grab my hand. My body goes limp and the way she pushed me makes me topple over the edge of the bridge, Ronald reaches me to late and his hand brushes past mine as he makes a futile attempt to grab me before I fall. I soundlessly plummet into the River Thames.

It hurts, but I'm too weak to try to swim up only sinking further, the stale air contained within escapes in a huge amount of bubbles causing me to jerk as the horrible water rushes into my mouth, burning my lungs as it pours down my throat, I try to scream, but that only makes it hurt more as more of the stagnant water invades my lungs. It's so cold it stings my eyes and skin making me writhe in agony as it touched my open wounds.

I hear a splashing above me, I gaze up hazily and see someone swimming towards me. Ronald. He doesn't listen does he.  
I suddenly stop moving, the last bubble of air escapes my lips and I feel strangely at peace with myself, even if I am in my worst nightmare.  
I'm just happy to know that I died for a good cause...Saving the person I love...

My eye's close and I feel deaths warm embrace on my form...

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
"Elanora!" I scream as her hand slides past mine and her limp body falls into the Thames.  
No I WONT LET YOU DIE ON ME.  
"Elanora!" I heard William shout.  
Alan stumbles to his feet and runs over to the edge next to me looking for any signs of her.  
"No..." He gasps.  
"I'm not going to let her die!" I yell stepping back and then jumping in after her.  
"RONALD!" I heard Eric and Alan yell, but I was already over the edge. I splashed into the freezing water, cursing at how cold it really was and making a mental note to get out quickly as it could cause both of us infection.  
The current was so strong that it was already pulling me along! I had to hurry!  
I hyperventilated slightly as I dove down, searching for any signs of her in the putrid water. Suddenly I felt something brush past my cheeks, tuning my head I saw a stream of bubbles.  
Looking down I saw her, limp and drifting her eye's wandering slightly then closing as she let out her last bit of air. I swam quickly trying to grab her and then being able to pull her close to me, tried to swim up again. The current pulling me back down with every effort I started to get tire, swimming upwards it felt like forever since I had last breathed and my chest burned with the agonizing need for air. I finally managed to push ourselves into the air, I heaved and coughed only to notice she wasn't doing the same.  
"Please breath Elanora." I whispered as I tried to shake her awake, desperately trying to keep our heads above water, my twisted arm sending my body into spasms and making it harder for me to keep above the waters surface. I keep shaking her but she makes no movement, not even a sound.  
"Elanora, Wake up!" I scream. I start to panic as the current becomes too much.  
I suddenly hear stirring and then sharp coughing noises. I turn my head and see Elanora sputtering and wheezing for breath.  
I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.  
"Ron...ald..." Elanora breathes.  
"Hold on! I'm going to get you out! " I say trying to keep my head above water, the only problem is hot to get out, the embankments are too tall to climb and the waters starting to make me go numb, Elanora's complexion turning deathly pale and her eye's drooping more and more by the second.  
Then I saw it, Williams extended Death scythe, it was about a couple of meters away. I started trying to swim towards it the current pushing us under every 20 seconds.  
"Ugh, Ronald." Elanora moans her eye's starting to droop.  
"Hey! Don't you dare close your eye's okay, you stay with me!" My voice shakes as tears start to roll down my cheeks.  
"Why did you do that!?" I ask as My desperate attempts to reach the pole are thwarted.  
"Huh, I'm probably not going to get the chance to sa...y this soon, but it's because I love you, Ronald." She Whispers shakily.  
"You? Love me?" I asked shocked.  
"Uh,...uh huh I'm sorry Ronald." She grimaces in pain "Why are you apologizing, I'm the one who should be saying sorry about what I said, I didn't mean any of it! I never wanted to hurt you! I'm sorry for getting you into this mess! If I hadn't stood up you would have killed here there and then!" I cry.  
"Hey, don't talk like that...I'm glad, your alright, I wouldn't take back what I did, even if it means I'm dying." She sighed sleepily.  
"Elanora! You keep your eye's open do you hear me! I love you too much to let you go!" I shouted, my efforts increasing as my hand was in reach of the pole.  
"Ronald, I'm so sorry.." She coughs.  
"No don't you dare die on me!" "Ronald, Thank you...for the memories...I love you so much." She breathes and then her eyes close.  
My hand grabs the pole and I feel being lifted from the water and on to the bridge.  
"Elanora ." I scream , I try to shake her awake once more but it's no good.  
"She's bleeding out!" Alan said, rushing over and trying to put pressure on her wounds. "Elanora!" William shouts trying to rouse her.  
"Please wake up, I love you PLEASE WAKE UP!" I cry.  
"She isn't releasing cinematic records, does that mean she's still alive!?" Eric asked.  
"Yes, but she should still release her records she was cut with a death scythe." Alan grunts trying his best to contain the blood.  
I'm shivering now, I'm freezing, but I don't care I just want her to wake up.

"No, she is obviously still alive...because she has the power, to with hold a cinematic record..." Willliam said...


	5. Heartbreak,irony of the cinematic record

"What do you mean!?" I asked trying my best to stay calm.

"I first found out when she was my student, she can supress her own and other people's cinematic record as well as being able to pause and Re-wind it to look at crucial parts. In essence she is a bit like a living bookmark." William-Sempai said.

He turns to me. "Didn't you ever notice the blue flecks in her eyes.

"Elanora I love your eye's..."

Yes I did, I just thought, I don't know what I thought.

"So are you saying, that she is doing this right now?" Alan asks, checking her pulse.

"Sub consciously yes...which means that...!"

"SHE'S NOT BREATHING!" I yelled, agitation rising in my voice.

"I can't do anything while I'm putting pressure on her wounds, Ronald, your going to have to give her CPR!" Alan said.

"O..okay!" I steadied myself...Please don't die you hear me!

I started immediately, Tilting her head upwards and opening her mouth, putting my lips to hers and blowing a solid amount of air in before pumping on her chest. It had been along time since I had heard about this, I only learned once so I'm rusty.

I continued desperately trying to bring her back to consciousness , 3 tries later and still nothing.

"You stay with me, do you hear me Elanora!" I cry, hot tears stinging my cold cheeks.

I try again, my lips meeting her cold ones. She's deathly cold!

That's when I see it, a bright flash and then I see it unravel from her body...her cinematic record.

"What does this mean?!" I ask.

"Either she's giving up or she's doing this to help herself hang on."

The end of everything, has to begin somewhere.

**_Elanora's_** **_Cinematic record._**

_"Hello" I said smiling at the blonde in my group._

_"Hi, and what would your name be?" He asked smirking devilishly... He was tall enough and handsome...but studies first!_

_"Oh...I'm Elanora Hawthorn." I blush slightly._

_"Nice to meet ya, the names Ronald Knox!" He says cheerfully._

_Ronald Knox huh? _

_"I am your instructor William T Spears."_

_"No way, he's so amazing isn't he!" One of the boys in my group said._

_He is amazing, I want to do everything I can to be the best I can be, just like he is! I want to be in his division! _

_The way he talks and is so straightforward, the way he confidently walks down the halls and uses his modified death scythe to push up his glasses! His stone Cold Expression!_

_"Elanora, want to go to a party with me!?" Ronald asked standing over my table, pen in hand and sweet tea in the other I never take my eye's off the book! Nailing my Exam is the key! To become a straight A student means I could very easily pass and then go into the final exam...They Don't think Girls should be Reapers! They're WRONG! I WILL BECOME A GRIM REAPER!_

_"Can't studying." I looked up from my book for a split second._

_"You always study!" He moans._

_"Ronald, you know your my best friend, but seriously I need to nail this or I won't get the grades I want in the test." I sigh._

_"Ok... Catch you later." He waves walking out the door._

_I really want to tell him that's not the only reason I don't go to theses things...Ronald's my only friend. Most of the other girls don't like the fact that I am going against tradition or the others are too scared to talk to me._

_I have shoulder length hair part of which I decided should cover one of my eye's. My eye's aren't like normal Reaper eye's. Mine have small flecks of fluorescent blue in the iris as well as the yellow . This makes me strange...I'm the outsider and no one wants to be friends with me, they won't even give me a chance._

_"Hey that looks like a good book lassy." A girl with raven hair, very pale, her hairs in plaits._

_"Oh yeah it's a really good book, have you read it?" I ask, trying to hold a conversation._

_"Yeah! It's great who's your favourite character?" She asked, her eyes lighting up._

_"Edward definitely, his love hate relationship towards his brother over Maria truly brings out a loveable quality in him." I smile._

_"True though I love George's flair for life while at the same time harbouring a thirst for revenge, it makes his interesting." She smiled._

_"I cried at chapter 97." I admit._

_"Me as well it was so sad!" She cries. She has a strong Irish accent._

_"Elanora Hawthorn." I smile, putting a hand out._

_"Darina McFlanagan." She put hers out and we shook hands smiling at each other._

_"So now that we've introduced ourselves I think we should tell each other about ourselves." I don't want to blow this!_

_"Aye Well, not much to know, I'm from Ireland, have about six brothers and I'm the first to study here, all the rest stayed at the Ireland division." She smiled._

_"Well, I'm part English and part West Indian. I don't have any siblings. "_ _I say, to me there's not much to tell. I've lived this way... Trapped in this busy life, feelings of rejection are normal, feelings of un want are common._

_"Hey Elanora!" Ronald called as I walked through the corridor._

_"Hey Ronald!" I smile, he's probably asked out another girl again!_

_"I heard you got A's in all of your tests!" He says._

_"Well...yeah, but it's nothing to brag about or anything..." I say._

_"Yeah it is!" He smiles._

_"Well, I have to catch up with my partner for the exam, you should too Ronald!" I say._

_"Don't you worry about me, we got it covered!" He smirks...typical!_

_Ronald your so carefree, it makes me smile a little when your around._

_"Ugh look it's the book worm, she's such a weirdo." I hear a girl whisper._

_"Yeah, her hairs so weird and look at her complexion and her eye's what's with those specks of blue in them!" Another whispers._

_I sigh...feelings of rejection...it's normal but why does this hurt so much._

_"Hey! why don't you mind your own business!" Darina shouted._

_"Say's the irish whore, go back home !" Another shouted._

_Darina...Sticking up for me? Someone's...Sticking up for me?!_

_"Irish whore, I'd say I 'ave more class than your little finger." Darina smirked._

_"Rude!" The girl said swinging at Darina. She sidestepped and slammed the girl against the wall._

_"Piss of you little bitch!" Darina said coldly and the group of girls surrounding us ran off._

_"Are you okay?" Darina asked._

_"Yeah... I'm fine." I sigh._

_"Where's the rest of your friends." Darina asked looking around. How could she think I had any other friends except Ronald!? Even then it's strange...How is he not getting bullied for being friends with me!?_

_"Ronald's...Ronald is the only friend I've had." I admit. Now I must look like a total looser._

_"Wow...but your great!" Darina says._

_"The others don't like me because they think girls shouldn't be going into dispatch." _

_"But I'm going into dispatch. Don't worry I get that too!" She smiles._

_"Really?!" I look up._

_"If it helps, I don't have friends either... so why don't we be friends?" She smiles._

_"Friends..." The word tastes sweet in my mouth._

_"I'd like that!" I smile._

_A friend that's a girl..._

_"Hey Elanora." Darina smiled._

_Nice long Raven hair and neat figure, in the same tie and black knee high over dress with black heeled shoes._

_Her hair in two long plaits draped over her shoulders a blue almost raven colour and almost as pale as snow, while mine was let loose as it's only shoulder length, it covering the left side of my face. People thought I was really weird but not Darina, originally from Ireland she was smart, a great friend, pretty and was expected to be a great reaper, she was an all A student too._

_Looking on at the man we supposed to watch from the rooftops we came to a final decision, he was a very nice looking gentleman, but was cruel to others; A thief, a rapist at that, a murder and a low life that happened to look handsome, a snake in the grass and thus we had decided that we would let death play its hand. Watching as the man fell to the ground, the illness he had long been suffering taking his life we jumped down and then reaped him, his cinematic record becoming vengeful and lashing out at us._

_"Together!" I shouted using my scythe to cut away eight at once, they were trying to latch on to me._

_"Wow he's persistent, hey here's to lady power!" She shouted, cutting another bundle, we had a hard time cutting it away, one more powerful slash at the exact same time our scythes being put together and unleashing a large blast, then using our scythe we collected the rest of the scattered parts and then finally hit it's centre and watched the record, we then sent it on..._

_"You did it!" Ronald smiled at us as we walked into the glasses floor to get ourselves proper glasses._

_"Down, up, left, left, left, down, up,uh right, left, down, up no I mean left." I sighed following the chart as my prescription for glasses was sorted. I was asked for preference and said I really like blue and then I was given a pair of half rimmed icy blue glasses. I loved them instantly._

_"You look good in those." Pop's says... I smile looking at myself in the mirror, It lightens my appearance, the colour softens the bright blue in my eye's making me look less weird._

_Looking at Darina's hers were really nice half moon spectacles. We smiled to each other._

_We soon changed our clothes too. I stayed in the same dress blouse and tie, making the sleeves more puffy, and swapping my black heels for White and blue knee high boots with a white overlay stopping at the ankles._

_Darina had ankle high black and purple heeled boots with white and purple lace socks and a purple tie._

_"Ok Hawthorn, it's time for your meet with your Reaper mentor." The kind lady at the reception desk said pointing me towards an office._

_The mentor scheme happens about once every couple of recruiting groups...If the groups received are exceptional, while they start their career certain individuals are given mentors to further their careers while others start straight away. I'm a student with All A's, so I was technically always meant to get a mentor, though me being a girl brought about uncertainty._

_I walked over and knocked on the door, waiting patiently I heard a man's voice tell me to enter. Ok it's a guy no biggie._

_"You must be Elanora Hawthorn, my name is William. T. Spears and I will be your mentor." I looked up to see a man with neatly combed hair, rather tall, a cold look on his face. No. Freaking. Way! He's a supervisor!_

_"He...Hello." I stutter. NO SIGNS OF WEAKNESS._

_"Take a seat." He says. I sit in front of his desk and he scans through my information papers, his eye's never leaving the pages._

_"Well, it seems your an exceptional student." He says._

_I just nod._

_"No need to be shy." He says...He's not helping. _

_"There are basic rules of being a reaper... You must wear your glasses at all times, those that don't are normally deserters. We do clean work, We take our orders from on high, we don't ask questions, we look after our death scythes. Is this all clear? I did explain this to you while you were in training." He asks._

_"Yes sir. I remember" I say. Who could forget!_

_"Very good Elanora." He says as I start looking through the cinematic record. Then suddenly it stops and goes back to the previous image._

_"What?" He says looking closely as it does it again._

_"I don't feel...to well..." I say as my stomach starts turning loops and I start to feel dizzy, I stagger and fall into the wall. I don't know what's wrong with me. I want to throw up this is horrible! I clutch my stomach and bite my lip trying to mask my sounds of pain._

_"Elanora?" He says as he comes over and takes a look at me, noticing that as I start to feel more and more sick the record starts to go back more._

_"Elanora... breathe and think really hard about letting the record roll." He says._

_What does he mean? How does that help anything?_

_I do as he says, breathing in and out and looking at the record as it slows down and then starts from where it left off._

_"I see." He says._

_Did I just do that?! I don't understand_ ?_ It suddenly comes to a very disturbing part as I watch this person die, the corpse is bad as it is, this is horrifying. Then it suddenly stops halfway through. I start wondering why and then it comes back._

_"What?" I say out loud._

_"If I'm correct then you have what's called cinematic suppression." William said._

_"What do you mean Sempai?" I ask._

_"I mean, all of that was you." He says._

_"No, I can't do that." I said astounded._

_"Oh but you just did Elanora." He says pushing up his glasses with his death scythe._

_"Again." William said as I picked myself up from the training centre floor._

_It's not fair...My scythe modification permit hasn't come back yet so I'm stuck with a practical scythe while he has his!_

_He comes at me again. I manage to flip over his attack and then run on the pole only to be tossed into the wall._

_"Again." He sighs._

_Then I hear a knock on the centre door._

_"Elanora Hawthorn." I hear a feminine voice say. She's a small lady probably from parcels._

_"Yes?" I say just before William tries to hit me again while I was distracted._

_"Sempai!" I yell, slightly annoyed._

_"That's the first confident words you've spoken to me this entire time." He says._

_Ugh!_

_"This is for you." The women says handing me a long black box and then leaving the room. On top it has a piece of paper taped to it. In big letters it says "Modification permit granted." _

_Yes! My new death scythe just like I wanted!_

_I open the box and pull out the items, Rapier, roses, and cards all connected by a series of glowing silver strings._

_"A strange death scythe isn't it? How is it even connected?" William asked._

_"Oh...Only I can see the strings, so I can pull them back at my own discretion. Plus I like being able to have more discretion when I reap and be less obvious in public." I say equipping my new death scythe._

_"Very good, now shall we test it?" He says._

_I nod and draw my rapier, I've always loved fencing, card games and flowers so why not mix them in. The rapiers guard is embellished with roses and cards to match. There are different cards and red, white and blue roses._

_"Yes Sempai!" I say._

_"Wow!" I say looking at Darina's new death scythe._

_It is a double ended spear, In the middle were chains that attached it, it looked cool, being able to detach and reattach._

_"Not as good as yours though!" She smiles._

_"No it's awesome, you can throw it or whatever you like!" I smile._

_"Ronald." I sigh, sat with him at the table of the canteen I look out of the window._

_"What I think a lawn mowers a good idea!" He smiles._

_Darina couldn't join us today cause she's out on a mission with her Sempai._

_"It's not very practical and how are you going to carry it around?" I asked, looking down at my book while shoving a bit of salad in my mouth._

_"Easy it will be light, I looked at yours and it's cool, very you, you really do like to be discrete but stand out don't you." He smiles._

_"What ever." _

_"Speaking of which ever since you got into the mentor scheme you've been nothing but a book worm, why don't you come out with me tonight, there's a killer party going on down in the commercial division." He tempts me._

_"A lot of those girls don't like me." I say._

_"Screw em! Come on you wall flower!"_

_"If that's the best nick name you've got for me you had better try again!" I sigh._

_"Oooh Miss perfect dispatch reaper, too good for the rest of us!" I hear one say._

_"Why don't you shove it!" Darina shouts at them._

_"Why don't you, you should know your place." One of them says._

_"Why don't you piss off and grow up !" I say._

_"Oooh, I'm so scared of the Goth Reapers, with her little cards and the irish one with her separating scythe." One of them put on a pathetic voice._

_Fine then I'll make you! _

_I flashed my cards at her letting them reflect in the sunlight, Darina splitting her daggers from the long pole._

_The women screamed and ran off._

_We smiled to ourselves and walked away to tell our Sempai's about it first before they told them a one sided story._

_"Half breed Bitch!" I hear a man shout as I walk down the street in mortal London, trying to act like a normal civilian._

_"Go home Asian!" Another shouts. _

_Wow, I'm not even Asian for a start. I was born half cast. One side is from the west indies, the other is British._

_"N### bitch!" _

_I start running, feeling threatened even if I am in the bad side of London as it is._

_I suddenly bump into two people!_

_"Hey what's the big...Elanora What's wrong?" Ronald!_

_AND William Sempai, they must have come looking for me when we got split up._

_"There she is, the half breed!" One of the men shout._

_"What?!" Ronald looks at me in confusion._

_"It's cause of the colour of my skin." I sigh angrily. I feel like crying... What did I do?_

_"Leave her alone!" Ronald shouts._

_"Piss off! She's a dirty thing, ya don't know where she's been."_

_"Why don't you mind your own business, come along Miss Hawthorn, Mr Knox." William says coldly making the two men shiver and step back._

_Walking back into Reaper London I stay silent. Why would I think it would be that simple._

_"Elanora, don't let it get to you." Ronald said._

_"No... I don't know what I was expecting walking around in the bad side of London the way I am." I say, looking down at my skin, I'm actually very pale and can get off as just tan, but then not everyone thinks the way reapers do._

_"What's wrong Elanora?" William asked as I sat down on the roof._

_"It's just...I see all these people, with hopes and dreams and families. It must feel terrible for some of them, to die with out saying good bye to the ones they hold dear." I sigh._

_"I see what you mean, but do not let it weigh heavily on your mind, remember we work coldly." He says pushing up his glasses._

_"Yes Sempai." I say._

_I must not show my feelings, I must not be a sentimental Reaper!_

_"Who is this!?" I ask looking at the flame headed reaper._

_"You had better watch what you do or I'll cut your heart out!" He screamed giving me a pointed smile. Who the hell is this creepy bastard!?_

_"Grell leave her alone, I'm her mentor." William sighs angrily._

_"Who's the old man!?" I say out loud._

_"WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD!?" Grell shouts._

_"This is Grell Sutcliffe." He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose._

_"And who are youuuuuuu?" He looks me over, so creepy! It has to be a guy!_

_"I am Elanora Hawthorn." I say coldly._

_"Ooooh, yes I've heard about you." He smiles._

_"From whom?" I ask crossing my arms._

_"Hey Elanora!" Ronald shouts running up to us._

_"WHAT?!" I yell in surprise._

_This lunatic was Ronalds Sempai...HE'S DOOMED._

_"I see you've already met." William says._

_"I've known him forever." I sigh in annoyance._

_"Hey! Hey! Hey! Sup butter cup!" Darina says patting both mine and Ronald's head. Thick Irish accent as strong as ever._

_"Oh hey Darina, meet my Sempai!" I smile._

_She looks up and I see her shiver slightly._

_"Hey, Elanora's told me a lot about you." She smiled kindly._

_"Hand's off missy!" Grell yells making a lunge for her._

_"Hands off our student!" Eric yells followed by Alan._

_Since Alan-Sempai is constantly ill she will often go with Eric-Sempai on assignment's._

_"Alan-Sempai, Eric-Sempai." I bow._

_"Good to see you again Elanora." Alan smiles. We've been talking a lot recently._

_"Ok!" Eric shouts._

_Me and Darina are off starting our fight. She throws a dagger at me and I deflect it with my rapier throwing a card at her. We jump over each other, our weapons clashing together as we clash around the floor of the centre. I pull out and spin letting a barrage of cards fly at her, I liked how showy and effective that move was. She back flipped at stood on one of the cards in the wall, flicked my wrist and pulled it out with a string she fell backwards, but threw the spear at me, whipping it at my feet making me flinch back and fall. We then leapt at ach other. I don't think any one else could see what was going on, we were moving faster than we could fathom. Suddenly we stopped and both fell on the floor._

_Laughing we dragged ourselves over and had a hug. We were strange._

_"Hahaha! Wow, that was fun love your fighting face!" Darina laughed._

_"I loved your's it was full of attitude!" I smiled, giggling._

_"Your strange!" Ronald laughed._

_"Get in here, tough guy!" I laughed._

_He came in an hugged us both pulling out a goofy grin._

_"SMILE!" Grell yelled taking pictures._

_We shouldn't even have camera's yet and he's taking liberties charming!_

_"Congratulations Elanora, you have now been passed as a fully qualified dispatch officer and as such you may now go on solo collections." William said._

_So this mean's I'm not his student anymore...I actually feel sort of sad...He's been great._

_"Don't frown aren't you happy?" He says noticing my sad look on my face._

_"It's just...I've really enjoyed being your student Sempai!" I say._

_"It's not like you won't see me again, I'm the supervisor." He chuckles slightly...SEMPAI CHUCKLED!_

_"I know that... I won't ever forget this. Thank you for everything Sempai!" I smile._

_"This... This is for you." He says, opening his draw and pulling out a ice blue Ribbon!_

_"Sempai!?" I say astonished._

_"You need to stop being ashamed of your eye's, Maybe this can at least give you clearer vision behind your hair." He said handing me the ribbon. It was beautiful, pure icy blue and so silky._

_"I can't accept this Sempai!" I said._

_"Think of it as a congratulatory gift." He said_

_"Wow that's really good." Alan said looking at my doodle._

_"Oh thanks, I was just doodling!" I say._

_It was late at night. I had put the ribbon to good use, using it like and Alice hand to keep a limited amount of hair off my face giving me a softer look._

_"So we did it!" Ronald smiles leaning back on the grass under the tree. _

_It was such a nice evening that we decided to have our Mentors out with us to celebrate. I had managed to rope William-Sempai along, we had started at a pub and ended on a hill with a single tree overlooking the rest of Reaper London. _

_"Yep!" I smiled. It was brutal, painful, hard as hell, enlightening and we did it, we went through it all._

_"Look! " Darina says as the leaves from the tree's blow away in the win along with a few flower petals making the scene into a glorious pattern filled with colour's illuminated by the moon._

_I suddenly feel two arms wrap round my shoulder. One's Ronald's, the others Darina._

_"Hey I have an Idea!" Darina smiles, helping me and Ronald up, she goes to the tree._

_"Lets carve all our names on it. So we have this memory forever. _

_I'm normally a stiffler for the rules, and in this case vandalism, but why not!_

_I carve my name is with a rose, handing one to Ronald and another to Darina._

_Elanora Hawthorn x 3_

_Darina Mac-Flanagan x 3_

_Ronald Knox!_

_"Blue delphinium." Ronald says._

_"What?" I ask confused._

_"That's your nick name, you a wall flower and you love the colour blue." He smirks._

_DAMN IT! HE CAME UP WITH A NICK NAME!_

_"Ahhh done for the day!" I chimed walking back into reaper London._

_"Hey, there you are!" Ronald yelled running up to me._

_"Yes...Yes I am, what's up!?" I ask excitedly._

_"There's a party in dispatch!" Ronald hollers._

_"WHAT HOW!?" I ask, dumbfounded._

_"William-Sempai's in a meeting so were having one now come on!" He drags me along._

_Theres snacks, drinking, laughter, everyone's having a good time, until...Sempai walks in._

_"Knox! Sutcliff!"_

_I don't remember anything after that, I felt a William's death scythe hit my head and then blank._

_"Elanora are you okay?" Ronald asked through my hazy vision._

_"I apologize Grell ran behind you at the last second." William sighs_

_"Darina?" I ask as I look up from my desk._

_"Yeah, important message from William, you me, Knox, Eric and Alan-Sempai , have been put on a big assignment." She huffed obviously running._

_"Oh...What sort of assignment?" I say, pushing up my glasses with my index finger._

_"For a dispatch team this big I don't know, the only logical answer would be a demon, but why so many of us?" _

_"Either it's more than one demon or it's an extremely powerful one or it could be a huge disaster, but I haven't seen any mass amount of names in the death schedules." I say, getting up from my desk and grabbing my scythe._

_"Coming?" I ask._

_"Uh...Well give me two minutes." She says...odd.._

_I have a bad feeling about this._

_This particular mission sent us out into the country_

_I've got a bad feeling about this. I shouldn't, but all we were told was to be sharp and have a look around in pairs._

_"You okay?" Darina asks._

_"No... This isn't right?" I say._

_"What?" She asks._

_"Haven't you noticed... There's no sound, no birds, no creatures not even crickets." I say._

_"You don't think..."_

_"Yes! I think we've been sent to find a gluttonous demon." I say._

_"Well shit!" She sighs._

_Gluttonous demons, will eat anything with a soul or anything living, this makes them dangerous because they cannot go for long periods of time without a soul to feed on. Rabbit Demons..._

_Suddenly we heard screaming and ran out to see two dead reapers by the river. There heads off and limbs floating in the water. I wanted to be sick! The smell was unbearable, a mix of blood and a demons scent._

_"Oh... CRAP!" Darina shouted, panic taking over her features._

_"Ooooh come to play have we?" I whirled around._

_In front of us was a black shadowed creature... Pink eye's and almost having tentacles around it. It threw it's arms at us, narrowly dodging the arms I sliced at them with my rapier in mid air. I was tough but I managed to cut through, almost being hit by another one thrown at me, Chopping the arms off were not an option anymore._

_William came out aiming his scythe at the Demon only to have to maneuverer out of the way._

_Standing back to back with Darina we brandished our death scythes. Deflecting he shadowed tentacles around us everything seemed to go in a haze, nothing but a serious of intricate movements to do nothing more that deflect...until there was an opening, we flicked the shadows out of the way and then ran towards it._

_My adrenaline kicked in...fight or flight._

_Eventually Fight won over and I twisted in mid air flipping off one of the shadows and aiming straight for the eye only to be brushed aside like rolled up paper hitting someone on my decent I crashed into them and we both fell on the floor in a heap...Ronald!_

_"Ronald!" I say only to wince as I try to stand._

_"Watch it!" He groans getting up. Flicking his hair aside he brandishes his normal scythe...poor sod still hasn't come up with anything to modify it to._

_"Sorry" I moan, picking up my dropped rapier._

_"It's okay...Let's hurry though I don't want over time...It's a rule you know!" He smiles foxily._

_"Yeah Yeah!" I huff._

_Darina's dagger whips past my ear and as I turn I see a shadow disintegrate. _

_"Thanks!" I shout as I slash another one._

_What a disaster! The reapers are spread thin enough as it is._

_I get back into my position with Darina, Making a circle to include Ronald._

_Then Eric and Alan- Sempai Arrive._

_Making steady progress we started to become encircled until finally there was a loud bang and everything went black for a second, then Everyone was on the floor, except me and Darina._

_"I...lov...e...Play...with...girls." It said._

_Suddenly It started attacking us, like a hurricane._

_Back to back we were starting to falter._

_I felt a large sting on my leg and recoiled in pain, just for a second, but by doing so I had made a window and as Darina turned around it took her death scythe and before she could even react, she was being wrapped up in the shadows, eye's wide in shock as her scythe was jammed repeatedly into her chest._

_"NO!" I screamed trying to rush towards her only to be tangled in as well._

_"No!" I hear someone scream, but the shadows make the sound grow faint. It feels like I'm suffocating in this dark, I amble around. All I see is it still stabbing Darina even now her cinematic record is showing. It just continuous, she's screaming but I'm glued in place un even to take a step._

_"STOP!" I scream. The cinematic record ends and she stops moving._

_"Hahahha fun!" It cackles._

_"Darina!" I hear Eric yell as the shadows unravel._

_I feel more pain in my leg as It stings me again. _

_I stab it with my death scythe, slashing desperately trying to move to the place I'm needed most... DARINA!_

_It drops her like a sack of potatoes and slaps Eric away. I still won't stop, NOT UNTIL I REACH DARINA!_

_"ELANORA RUN!" I hear Ronald yell. _

_NO I CAN'T RUN._

_It continues to rip at the skin on my legs, until I reach her._

_The shadows crawling all over her. I try my best to keep them away._

_Alan-sempai, came and started helping me, I could see Ronald and William-Sempai in the distance._

_"ELANORA WATCH OUT!" Alan-Sempai yelled._

_So distracted with the shadows I didn't even see the arm slam into me, piecing my side in white hot sickening pain!_

_I screamed trying to cut the shadowed arm away only for me to be lifted off my feet and recoiled by yet another._

_"STOP! GET OFF OF...!" I was cut short as it flew to the side...Towards the river._

_It was so cold..._

_Thrashing desperately, I tried to make the arms let go, to try to swim up._

_It squeezed tighter and tighter and all I could do was scream._

_My lungs being flooded with misty water, my blood surrounding it._

_I continue sinking. I just want it to stop. The pains unbearable. I try to keep my mouth shut, but it only squeezes tighter. Trying to find anything I could use, I realised I'd dropped my death scythe... Cards and all!_

_I stopped struggling trying one more time to breathe some kind of air, only to swallow more water._

_"ELANORA!" I heard Ronald call. I try to grab at the surface of the water, reaching up, trying to pull myself back into that world._

_I suddenly feel red hot pain in my head and jerk as if something knifing my brain._

_I stop moving._

_RED!_

_RED!_

_RED!_

_BLACK..._

_I open my eye's and look around myself, I'm in a room or what I though was a room. There was no floor I'm floating in space. Hands trapped by invisible bonds I'm hanging like a prisoner on a wall in chains._

_I look up and see looking out of what appears to be a window. It's my sight though._

_I reach down and pick up my rapier._

_HOW THE HELL AM I ON LAND!? I WAS JUST DROWNING!?_

_I try to look around but I don't respond to my own body and instead aim my rapier at William-Sempai._

_"Elanora?" He says narrowly avoiding my attack. I try to stop myself, but it's no use and I continue to try an cut him, until Ronald steps in the way and I end up slashing his arm._

_NO I DON'T WANT THIS!_

_I move so fast even I can't understand it._

_"ELANORA STOP!" Ronald grunts trying to fend off my attacks._

_I try to stop, but I can't._

_I'm screaming but no words are coming out!_

_I slash at him again, this time I punch him in the stomach and kick him to the floor._

_"Elan...Elanora." I hear. DARINA!_

_I try to aim for her but Eric luckily stops me._

_I'm being possessed. PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!_

_"Elanora...Wake up this isn't you!" He shouts pushing me away._

_"No... Elanora!" Darina yelled._

_I pushed through for a brief moment and tried screaming._

_"ELANORA!" Darina yelled. Standing up and staggering towards me._

_"ELANORA!" I heard the others scream._

_I started struggling against my bonds trying to break free. Reaching towards the window._

_"AHAHAHAHHAHA." The demon cackles through me._

_I feel sick...I want the vermin out! I want her to go away!_

_I slash at Eric again, this time sending him back. I'm moving too fast for them to handle._

_I'll kill someone unless...They kill me..._

_Making up my mind I decided my life hadn't actually been worth much this entire time anyway! I'm truly alone in this world. And that is the way it will have to end for me. Except...I'm taking this vermin with me._

_As long as she's still inside when the host dies, she'll perish too._

_I struggle even more to gain some control._

_Little by little I push through, but then I hear voices. Telling me to stop, how worthless I was, how they hate me!_

_I was beyond reason at this point and gained control for a minute dropping to my knee's at screaming trying to control my arms enough to aim my rapier at my chest... only I couldn't I just felt demonic energy surround me._

_"ELANORA FIGHT!" Ronald yelled._

_I can't fight...I won't win...I can only be controlled...or die._

_The demon snaps back. Tacking control of me and cackling though I feel tears roll down my cheeks. I feel dirty!_

_I push harder and take control._

_"PLEASE...Y-YOU HAVE TO KILL ME!" I scream._

_"No!" Darina yell's looking at her death scythe, she only has the pole left._

_"I-IF YOU D-DONT I'LL KILL YOU!" I cry._

_"Elanora..." He whispers._

_I feel her pushing me back._

_"HURRY DO IT!" I scream._

_Ronald looks at me shocked. William, Eric and Alan trying to figure out something._

_"NO WE CAN SAVE-" Ronald tries._

_"NO!- AHAHAHHAHA TICK TOCK REAPERS- STOP IT!- NO I LIKE PLAYING WITH YOU!- DO IT NOW!" I fight through the demons words._

_A pained face crosses Ronald's._

_This is not the time for me to be sentimental or utter out any memorable last words. Only I can buy them enough time._

_"No...I won't kill my best friend." Darina says, stepping towards me._

_"Ahaha GET AWAY PLEASE!" I scream, she walks towards me and then puts her arms around me. I feel myself tense._

_"I won't do it Elanora!" Darina says._

_I suddenly feel my arms rise, rapier in hand._

_"NO GET AWAY...!" It's too late and I look down to see that my sword is now embedded straight through her heart._

_Her eye's widen in shock and then she collapses...I've just killed my best friend... I KILLED HER!_

_I'm sent over the edge and scream, hot tears staining my face._

_"DARINA!" I scream. _

_She doesn't stir, move or breather. I fall to my knee's beside her._

_"No!" I hear Alan-Sempai yell._

_"DAMN IT! IF I HAVE TO KILL MYSELF TO STOP YOU THEN I WILL!" I yell._

_"ELANORA!" I hear Ronald yell._

_"Your bluffing Grim Reaper!" She chides... I can hear the uncertainty in the female voice._

_I scream as I gain control of my arms and then Stab myself, over and over again. The pain is unbearable. But this is my choice...My punishment...My soul...isn't pure anymore..._

_I fall beside Darina and cry as my world turns dark..._

_I wake up to the beeping of machines and the sound of a drip... I open my eye's for a moment and then close them as the brightness of the white hospital room hurts my eye's. I blink a couple of time and then take in my surroundings._

_Then I see William-Sempai and Ronald!_

_"Elanora!" Ronald rushes over from his chair to my bedside._

_"Ronald?" I ask... How am I still alive._

_"DARINA!" I sit up only to hiss in pain and fall back down._

_"Don't try to get up.. your lucky to be alive!" Ronald says._

_"Darina? Did... I?" I can't even finish my sentence, I want to throw up._

_"Darina didn't make it." William says._

_I try to say something but only a whimper comes out. I clutch my head in my hands and bring my knee's close to my chest._

_I... I MURDERED MY BEST FRIEND! I KILLED HER! I- DID THAT!_

_I sob... it's all I can think to do. I killed my best friend._

_"It wasn't your fault." William says._

_"I-I killed her!" I sob._

_I wish I was dead! I don't deserve to live!_

_Alan and Eric-Sempai walk in._

_"How is sh..."_

_Alan stops at the sight of me._

_"I killed her... Oh god I killed her... I killed my best friend...I killed her... It's all my fault... If I hadn't moved... I killed my best friend." I sob hysterically._

_"You didn't kill her, the demon did." Alan said._

_"NO I SHOULD HAVE OFFED MYSELF WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!" I scream._

_"WILL THAT BRING HER BACK!" Ronald yelled._

_No it won't bring her back... But it will be my punishment... or at least my eternal suffering will suffice._

_"She was alive for a while and she left this for you..." Alan said pulling out an envelope._

_My dear Elanora,_

_I had a bad feeling about this...so if your reading this then I've passed, which is weird for a grim reaper._

_I want you to know that your my best friend and that has never changed. I want you to continue with your life and stay strong._

_You don't have to have me to be strong, you've always been strong._

_The rest I write to you from my hospital bed... I fear these are my last few moments of life._

_None of this was your fault...Nothing... I chose the path that your road took. I hope you make it Elanora. Even if it means that my death will bring you life... I am more than happy to oblige. Live your life. You will always be my best friend...My sister, the one I always wanted._

_Your loving friend,_

_Darina..._

_I held the letter close, to hold something so close to her... apart of her... How did she not hate me in her final moments of death._

_She was my best friend...The sister I never had. I can't take the fact that she's forgiven me! I'm not worth forgiveness._

_I have to spend another week in the hospital...It's been two weeks now. I hate being in bed. I just want to be out before...Darina's funeral._

_I hear my door open and expect it to be one of the doctors. Only it's Alan-Sempai._

_"Hello Elanora." He says. Sitting down on the visitors chairs by my bedside._

_I nod in acknowledgment. I don't know how he of all people could look at me._

_It's silence for a while._

_"No one hates you... for what happened." He says._

_I look up in disbelief at his words._

_"You forget you tried to save her... How you warned her to get away from her... told us to kill you if we had to, just don't let the demon win." Alan said, bluntly._

_"I shouldn't have put anyone in that position, I should have been strong enough to do what was needed from the start, instead I was weak." I say._

_"No... what you fail to understand is the demon invaded your mind at you point of death, which would be you drowning, it had nothing to do with you being weak it was more to do with the psychology behind the feeling of death."_

_"So then...?"_

_"If you think I hate you I don't and neither does Eric, Ronald, William or anyone else. You tried to save her and that speaks volumes for who you are. Your a good person and would never willingly do that to her. Were worried about you." Alan says._

_I'm released from hospital and sent home. I have to spend a week off before I can come back to work, it's been a month. I was made to do a psychological state of mind test with the doctor. It's strange, but after Alan-Sempai had that talk with me, I feel less guilty and more at ease with looking myself in the mirror, though not a lot. I don't feel depressed anymore... I just feel angry._

_Angry at the demon that used me as a puppet for their own twisted game._

_Darina's funeral came, her brothers attending. It wasn't even a funeral more like a memorial as she was being taken back to Ireland for burial._

_"You must be Elanora." One of her brothers say._

_I feel my stomach turn._

_"Yes." I say._

_"My name is Mark." He says... DARINA'S OLDEST BROTHER!_

_"Thank you." He says._

_I turn around at look at him wide eyed._

_"You were the only friend she's ever had... She sent letters home about you... you made her happy and gave her a great life and thank you... for trying to save her." He said._

_He had the same hair and eye's like her with matching skin tone almost like a male version of her, but taller and well built._

_His words stung... how could he be thanking me. If it wasn't for me... Darina would still be alive._

_Ronald came over today. He sat down and talked with me for a while, pulling me into a tight hug. I didn't want to let go. He felt real to me, while everything else was slipping away._

_I keep having dreams... I'm drowning again, I can see her face and all she keeps saying is you killed me._

_I returned to work, everyone acted normal, probably prior to Williams instructions._

_I sat at my desk and filled in my paper work... Then being called to do a collection with Alan-Sempai._

_I walked along the roof top after I had collected the soul. It took everything I had to not throw up and keep myself from suppressing the cinematic record. _

_Things are starting to feel peaceful... but never the same... never will be the same again._

_"Elanora." I Hear William say as I get up from my desk and head to the door to lock it for the night._

_My attitude has changed recently from uptight and biding the rules, to silent and more screw it if something happens, though, I still get worked up._

_"Yes Sempai." I say, puffing my hair out of my face. I thought I could get away with it long, but it's just annoying._

_"Do you require someone to walk home with?" He asked._

_"No Sempai, but if you must." I sigh. It's been four months now._

_I stand in the mirror of my bathroom, scissors in hand. I don't feel the same anymore. I don't think I should look the same either._

_I start with cutting the front of my hair, that bang that covered the left side of my face turning into a much shorted on only some bits covering a small part of my eye's I used the blue ribbon to tie my hair back into a pony tail and put on the new skirt, waist coat and Jacket I had bought._

_I liked this change... I looked like less of a weird young woman and more a an intellectual sort of girl. I had made one small change to my death scythe, I added, a single black rose._

_Walking into work I started getting into a routine. Clock in, paperwork collection, hit Grell if he did something stupid, go home have dinner have nightmare filled dreams and repeat._

_Going out for drinks with the others I feel more relaxed and at ease with myself and my surroundings._

_I start to enjoy my work again. Talking with Alan and Eric have in a way helped me find peace with Darina in a way._

_It makes me feel a little better that people don't blame me... though I blame myself._

_I put myself fully into my work now. Making sure that I do tight clean efficient work. I'm cold and calculate efficiently, having no sentiment over the one's I reap anymore. After all, it's just a job._

_Ronald walks into my office, offering to take me to a party and this time I think why not._

_It's been a while since the even now... I've started to let go... She said live my life... I wont forget her if I do that._

_I know this was what she wanted._

_I go out and enjoy the evening making a resolution to enjoy myself more often._

_I've had yet another girl come up to me screaming because of Ronald._

_I walk over and smack him upside the head. It seems I have no problem with using violence for some things any more._

_"Ow!" He yells._

_I laugh as Ronald says his "Catchphrase." It's so funny poor guy._

_Wow... He's a hunk and then a dork._

_Wait... What did I JUST THINK!_

_I keep thinking about my nightmares, and then I keep thinking about Ronald._

_Why do I feel this way about him!?_

_Grell's scythe cut's through my office walls like butter as he chases Ronald around._

_I scream in annoyance! My office is wrecked and so are all the separate offices except William's which is across the corridor._

_Because of Grell's incompetence we have now had to work at desks in once large room all together as the budget does not cover a repair for the foreseeable next two years!_

_I hate working overtime, following William to where Grell's supposed to be..._

_Why does Ronald Make the nightmares go away? Why do I feel empty if he's not with me._

_Walking into the ball room I smile... I haven't been out in ages and now Ronald's taking me to a party!_

_A demon... Why does she look familiar... Oh well Vermin are vermin._

_Ronald, hates me... I am a mess!_

_I keep having these nightmares... I want them to stop! I want the voices to stop! Make them go AWAY!_

_I'm cold to Ronald now... I have to be to hide the hurt I feel._

_That demon killed Darina! It's her! I'll end her!_

_"Then I'll take his." The demon screamed, lunging at Ronald._

_No I love him! I do love him! I won't watch another tragedy!_

_"The O-Only card I have left- Ace of spades."_

_"ELANORA!"_

_It hurts, the burning in my lungs hurts._

_At least I died, saving the person I love._

_"I love you Elanora."_

_Being loved... Right now it's the best feeling in the world. Because even if I am dying... I'm dying in your arms..._

_Fin_

_**End of cinematic record**_

**_Ronald P.O.V_**

I look at her, now, the tears spilling even more from my eye's.

How could I not know!? How could I be such a fool!?

All those times she saw me with other girls, I must have hurt her terribly.

I was her only friend... I didn't even know she was being bullied, it never happened while I was there!

Most importantly, how could she take that, I feel ashamed. The girl I claim I love with all my heart. And I hardly even knew what she truly felt!

"Elanora?" I shake.

She's cold and still and lifeless now.

I sob holding her still body close to mine.

"ELANORA!" I cry.

I pull her even closer probably suffocating her if she was alive. I couldn't bear the thought of her being dead in my arms. I cant'!

"Hehehehehe." I hear from behind me. I turn my head to see that vermin clawing her way towards us, card still stuck in her chest.

"Look's like... I win after all... Love... truly does conquer all, AHAHAHAHA!" She laughs, I loose it and pick up Elanora's rapier from the ground.

Without a second thought I shove it through the demons skull, over and over again, until it's nothing but gore.

"YOU BITCH!" I SCREAM!

I suddenly see a stirring in Elanora. I lean in closer and hear very faint laboured breathes.

"She's alive." I shake in disbelief.

**_Elanora P.O.V_**

I open my eye's to see I'm in a white room, the familiar beeping of machines fill my ears...


	6. Inspiration

Waking to the familiar bleeping of machines and the feeling of a needle stuck in my arm it could only mean on thing, I was in the hospital.  
A breathing mask over my mouth,The walls a familiar glowing white I opened my eye's only to close them, the light hurting my eyes...but I'm alive! I feel a pair of warm hands grasping mine. A slight sniffling sound coming from the side of me, I turn my head enough for me to see and blink my eye's open trying to adjust to the lighting of the room. It's fuzzy since I obviously don't have my glasses on, but from the dual coloured hair I can instantly tell it's Ronald.

His head lent against my hand, he's sat in the chair next to my bed, Jacket slung over his chair, He's shaking slightly and then I realize the warmth against my hand is also wet. He's crying...

"It's all my fault...Please wake up." He sobs softly.  
I feel my heart rip in half. I'm not worth his tears... an un-pure soul isn't worth his tears.

"Ronald." I say quietly, it's sort of hard to speak so what ever I say comes out in almost a whisper. I feel weak and aching, almost like I'll go to sleep again.

He looks up, eye's wide and face tear stained, I feel yet another pang in my heart.  
"E-Elanora?!" He gasped, more tears falling down his face.  
I clutched the hand touching mine, giving a weak squeeze, hopefully strong enough to let him know I'm real "Oh Thank God!" He said hugging me tightly, I flinched slightly, my shoulder felt stiff, but I tried my hardest to return to hug. I buried my face in his warm chest, carefully breathing him in, in a way making sure I myself was alive.

"I thought you died, you were dead for 3 minutes straight!" He shook, still sobbing.  
"Don't cry over me silly." I smile sadly.  
He grips me tighter.  
"Don't you dare think that your not worth it!" He says.

My eye's widen...How does he know anything about that.  
"Why didn't you tell me you suffered so much!?" He sobbed.  
I feel tears well in my eyes and I hold him closer regardless of how much it hurts.  
"H-How do you kno...!?"  
"Cinematic record." He says.  
Oh please God NO!  
"Th-Then you know... about my eye's." my voice shakes I let my hair fall down over my eye's and push my face closer into his chest.  
The Eye's I hate! The eye's that make me different! The eye's I'm ashamed of!  
"Your eye's are perfect... They make you special. You don't need to change."

Special huh?

"I'm sorry." I sigh.  
"Why are you apologizing, I should have seen, It should have been me that's lying in that hospital bed, not you!" He sobs.  
I can't take it anymore, It's not his fault. It was my choice.  
"Don't you dare say that in front of me again!" I say, pulling my face out of his chest and looking into his eye's. The eye's that are normally so full of life and fun, suddenly sad and tear stained.  
"Do you hear me Ronald. I stand by what I said and what I did, regardless I love you!" I say.  
"Elanora." He says.  
"I love you too. I should have said it. I'm sorry about saying all those things to you, for hurting you."  
"Ronald, I'm past that and I may have needed to hear some of those things, it made me realize how much I've been dragging my arse over the last few years." I admit.  
"No I shouldn't have said it, I don't even know where it came from." He rubs the back of his head, it's what he does when he's feeling guilty.  
My hand reaches up and wipes away his tears.  
"I promise you I'm going to make it up to you everyday for the rest of my life, I swear." He says.  
"Oh stop it!" I smile.

Suddenly I find my eye's looking into his even if it is blurry. My heart starts feeling like it's going to burst through my chest.  
"God I love you !" Ronald says before smashing his soft lips into mine.  
It's sweet and passionate, he starts to soften up, a shiver runs down my spine. I relax into the kiss, my arms wrapping around his neck pulling us closer together. Is this what kissing the person you love is like? It's better than anything described in books or I imagined it would be !  
We pull apart, still looking into each eye's.

My cheeks tinted pink and face growing hotter.  
"Why are you embarrassed it's just me." Ronald smiles.  
A genuine smile. His cocky, jokey, dorky smile. Being so close to death again it makes me realize a few things.  
"Ronald, how long has it been?" I ask, the last time I was awake it was that night, the 20th of December.  
"Three days." He says.  
That's not terribly long, but then... it's Christmas Eve tomorrow.  
"Ronald you look tired." I say.  
"I haven't slept for four days, I'm not looking so hot I know." He sighs.  
"Oh Ronald!" "Don't give me that, I just want you to get better so if that means I have a few sleepless nights then so be it." He says confidently.  
"Promise me you won't cry anymore." I say.  
"Promise me you'll tell me when you're hurting." He replies.  
"Deal." I smile.

A thought suddenly pop's in my head.  
"Ronald...can I call you Ronnie." He hates the nick name... he started hearing it back in the training days and forbids us to ever call him that.  
"Anything for you." He smiles weakly, inside he's probably screaming.  
We embrace in another hug.

The doctor walks in followed by Alan, who breaks out in a smile when he see's the two of us.  
"Elanora!" Alan smiles.  
"Hey there Alan." I smile. Alan pulls up a chair and we talk for a while, then the doctor takes a look at me and my wounds. Realizing I'm actually covered in bandages like a mummy. One on my forehead, my shoulder, arms, legs and stomach, though hopefully the healing factor should help me along a bit.  
Ronald get's up and says he's going to go find William and Eric, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek he picks up his jacket and walks out.  
The doctor also leaves saying that he shall return in a few moments.

"So... it finally happened." Alan smirked.  
"Yeah... Even with the way it went, I didn't know he felt that way about me... I never thought anyone could feel that way about me." "He never left your side you know?" Alan says, looking out of the window.  
"Really?!"  
"Not once didn't move an inch for the past three days, you stopped breathing twice and then your heart stopped when they started treating you, you gave everyone quite a scare."  
"I see, thank you for telling me." I say.  
"Think nothing of it, when I wind up in here I like to know the details." He says.  
"What's it like at dispatch?" I ask.  
"Oh it's hectic, with the winter more people start dying and that means a lot of chaos." Alan sighs, familiar frown coming back on his face.  
"Sounds the same." I chuckle.  
"Elanora... What exactly went through your mind when you did what you did?" Alan asks.  
"Well, it was like adrenaline really... I just felt like I couldn't watch something like that happen again in front of me. I don't regret it." I say, looking out the window... it's snowing outside and everything is blanketed in white.

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
I walk out of the door, my heart feeling less heavy and feeling more alive a smile breaks across my face.  
"So what are your intentions?" I hear a calm and stoic voice from behind me and turn around to see Eric and William. I gulp slightly... but I want to be with her so I have to hold my own.  
"I love her and nothings going to change that and I'm sorry if you don't approve but that's how it is Sempai." I say. I'm on edge as it, I don't need to be fired right now. "Good." He says.  
"Huh!?" I look up.  
"It makes her happy and then I'm fine with that just..." He walks up to me and whispers in my ear.  
"Love her with every breathe you take, break her heart and I'll make your life a living hell." I shudder, the seriousness in his voice means he's not joking either.  
I nod. I love her and I won't hurt her again!  
"You know you didn't see everything in her cinematic record, some things were left blank and you only saw the part of her life starting from the academy." William says.  
"Yes, I know." I sigh, she's always been secretive, but this is just to a whole new level.  
"Do you know anything about before?" Eric asked. Arms crossed and leaning against the wall.  
I shake my head, I asked her a few times and she changed the subject.

I walk back into the room and She smiles...

"Hello love." I say.  
"Hello Ronnie." She smiles. My eye twitches slightly... come on I love her it's cool... it's just a stupid, pointless, idiotic...Ugghhh, affectionate pet name.  
I sit her bedside.  
"Hey Sempai." Elanora says.  
"How do you feel?" He asks.  
"Aching and a bit sleepy but other than that okay." I say.  
"Good." He said.

The doctor walk back in followed by a nurse...

**_Elanora P.O.V_**

Both the doctor and nurse walk in, the doctors holding a clipboard, probably with my notes and so on.  
"Well we've given you a check over and it seems your healing factor is doing the trick for your stomach, legs and arms, the only thing we really need to watch is your shoulder which was exposed to demon bacteria. So really all you need to do is stay in over night and then we will release you, though you will have to lay off collections for about three weeks as well as having a check up every 5 days." He said.

"I see..." I say, well I hate desk work, but it still means I can heal up more so I'm pleased with that.  
"Thank you." I say.

The doctor nods and then leaves.  
I shudder slightly thinking about how the... Demon licked my shoulder wound.  
"Don't think about it." Ronald said, leaning over and whispering in my ear. I BLUSHED SLIGHTLY WELL EVERYONE WAS IN THE ROOM WATCHING US.  
"Ronnie she's just starting to heal, you'll have lots of time for sex when Elanora get's out of hospital." Eric laughed.  
Ronald's cheeks reddened in a hot blush, my face flaming up. I mean...I've never... well I mean...ugh awkward.  
"DON'T CALL ME RONNIE ASSHOLE, BESIDES WHERE DO YOU GET OFF THINKING DIRTY CRAP LIKE THAT!" Ronald yelled.  
I cover my ears as it immediately sends a banging noise to my head.  
"Oh! Sorry love!" Ronald quickly apologizes.  
I nod and then wince as I take my hands away, my ears still ringing.  
"It's late and Elanora needs her rest." William says.  
"Bye guys." Elanora says as they leave accept for me.  
I'm not leaving her side! I see her face turn from neutral to anxious in a minute, I guess the dreams don't go away, even with closure.  
"Sssh... I'm here and I'm not going to leave you." I whisper as she looks up at me.  
"But Ronald-"  
"Ssssh, go to sleep and I'll be here when you wake up." I say.  
She shuts her eye's and after a while gets to sleep, though the same sad look is on her face. In reality I didn't want her to close her eye's... because I'm afraid that if she does... she won't open them again...

Now I dream, her laying cold and still in my arms again only this time there's no one else around and were completely surrounded by darkness. Suddenly from nowhere I feel a sharp pain across my chest and look down to see myself bleeding.  
I fall backwards, Elanora's limp body lent against mine, while I groan in agony and misery. Suddenly a hooded figure moves towards us, a menacing scythe in hand and on inspection underneath his hood is a skull... THE GRIM REAPER HIMSELF.  
I suddenly feel Elanora' being lifted from me, the Grim reaper putting her over his shoulder and looking down at me.  
He turns to walk away and I yell, trying to push myself up and go after them only for him to turn back around and stab me through the chest...

I wake up, the wind sending a cold chill through the hospital windows. I sigh shakily looking next to me to see Elanora asleep and breathing.  
The same nightmare again. It's tearing me up inside, feeling powerless over and over again.  
I don't want to leave her side, but I need air, a walk and maybe a cup of tea. If it's just a few minutes then I'll be back to make sure... just a few minutes...

**_Elanora P.O.V_**

My eye's open slowly, adjusting to the dim lighting in my room. At the window is a figure with long hair, a thin body, female posture.  
In alarm I try to reach for my panic button at the side of my bed only to have my wrist firmly grabbed hold of and the other slammed over my mouth. I looked up, fear starting to turn into adrenaline only for it to be...  
"Come now darling I'm not going to do anything." Grell...  
I pull his hand off of my mouth and whisper in a harsh low tone.  
"You're supposed to be under house arrest, that was one of the terms of your suspension, so how in Grim's name did you get out!" I hissed.  
"Come now, being a home bird has never really been my thing, besides I wanted to see how you were doing, I heard that you were in critical condition from one of the grim reapers." He explained.  
Still think he had ulterior motives though...  
" And why would you take such a risk just for that?" I cross my arms over my chest and sit up.  
"Because I want Ronald to be happy and if that means courting with you than you have to pass through my books, I don't let just any girl date my Ronald."

Wait what... I swear Ronald's had more girlfriends than paydays. "Cut the crap Suttcliff." I scoff.  
"There is no crap to cut, I simply see it as your actually a good kid." He sighs.  
WAIT WHAT?!"Huh?" "Honey you know I hate that. What I'm trying to say is that, at first I might have misjudged you, but you keep a level head in bad situations so much like Will it's almost like your related... and yet... at the same time letting your emotion's pave a path in your life that can either make or break you, my my such a risky card game, win it all or loose it all... In conclusion, your a good girl and you do care for Ronald deeply otherwise you wouldn't be sat here." He says.  
Wow, he was actually sentimental... and nice, some things off...  
"I just hope you have a bit more thought about throwing away your life as you've done it easily many times before, but now Ronald's a fixed point in your life, think about him." Grell said before walking over to the window and jumping out into the night.

I have haven't I... I've been so callous with my life that I didn't stop and think... If I die, how will the people I leave behind feel... Alan's situation should have made me realize it, but I was too stubborn and ignorant...

I don't want to hurt the people I care for...  
They are my reason for living.

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
Elanora was allowed to leave the hospital and was on her way home.  
Christmas day and she thinks she's spending it alone, she's mistaken.  
I tell her I've got a collection so I'll see her later and Alan said she would take her home, making sure to make detours!  
Excellent that way we can set up my house in no time!

**_Elanora P.O.V_**

I have no food in my house or shopping and I bet everything's closed because it's Christmas! Looks like it's biscuits for dinner which sucks.  
Walking down the street with Alan I look around and realize this isn't my street, this is Ronald's.  
"What the...!?" I asked, looking at Alan.  
"Just go with it." He said, leading me into Ronald's house.  
"SUPRISE!" Suddenly there was Eric, William and Ronald.  
I stood there shocked.  
"COME ON IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Eric yelled.  
I walked in and looked around, his house was decorated in goofy, yet stylish and traditional decorations and a really nice tree, with presents under it!  
OH SHIT!  
"I- I, I left your present's at my house!" I cry, embarrassed.  
"No you didn't." William said pointing to the tree and surely enough, there was my presents all wrapped in a particular royal blue paper and red ribbon.  
"You've been snooping in my house again!" I tease, putting on fake anger.  
"Listen you need to find a better place to hide stuff, a closet is not the best place, also nice panties!" Eric smirked.  
My jaw dropped.  
Ronald turned around, cheeks turning red and face puffing out.  
"HOLD ON A BLOODY SECOND MATE THAT'S MY LADY!" Ronald yelled.  
"What, you stared for ages." Eric stated.  
"I DID NOT... BUT HOW THE HELL HAVE I NEVER SEEN THOSE!?" Ronald asks me.  
"Cause we weren't courting at the time!" I say, flabbergasted.  
"Oh and before we go into anything else, there's a dress up stairs for you in Ronald's room." Alan says.  
"Thank-you." I say, before proceeding upstairs.

I walk in the room a mental not already in my mind to look through Ronald's shit!  
I look on the bed and there it is, my Royal blue and black lace dress. It had side straps, black lace that covers up to the neck and is knee high, cause I hate longs skirts unless it's for a special occasion.

I carefully put it on, hoping that I don't reopen my wound that now is just a harsh red injury, luckily covered by the lace that goes up to my neck.

I find a pair of matching socks and flat shoes, thank god. I put them on and then I proceed to look through Ronald's closets.  
Ohohoh, what's this! I look in and find a bottle of wine, a few weird patterned ties and oh! The most goofiest socks ever! They were bright rainbow and glowing almost. And then a teddy! AWWWWWWW!  
"OH COME ON!" I quickly turn around and see Ronald leant against the door arms crossed, dressed in a white shirt and red waistcoat aswell as grey trousers.  
" Well that's what you get... nice socks by the way." I smirk, throwing one at him!  
"Hey! They were a gift from Eric!" Ronald blushes slightly.  
"Wow, he has such lovely taste!." I say sarcastically.  
"Say's you, Ms I have like 86 lovely lace corsets!" Ronald retorts.  
"2, it's just two and those were a gift from Grell."  
"Sure." He smirks.  
I grab the teddy.  
"Oooh looks like the tough guy has a kid side!" I smirk as I wiggle the teddy in front of him.  
"Hey! Give Mr Terrific here!" Ronald yelled like a child.  
"Aaaww, but I might just keep him!" I mock squeezing the stuffed toy.  
"No!" He wails.  
I burst into laughter.  
"Stop it!" He pouts!  
"Oh, Ronnie I'm sorry!" I breathe through giggles.  
I put the teddy back and my hand nudges past something, revealing several painted canvases.  
I pull one out and it's a beautifully painted field full of flowers.  
Another a stormy river, the detail so shocking that it sends shivers down my spine.  
Another a calm stream with blue delphinium's floating in the water, at one part the water seems to be calm and the other appears to be choppy... troubled waters. In the backgrounds a girl, blurred and reflected in the water. More importantly they all had one thing in common, in white letters at the bottom corner was the name Ronald knox.  
I suddenly feel strong arms wrap around my waist and Ronald's Head rests on my shoulders.  
"You know that one's the one I didn't want you to see, because I thought about you when I painted it." He whispers in my ear.  
"You paint?!" I gasp. They're so beautiful.  
"Yeah and I know you draw, they're just as beautiful as you." He breathes.  
"Oh Ronald... these are stunning why didn't you tell me?" I ask.

He spins me around so I'm facing him and looking into his eye's.  
"In another life, I was a painter, yet I could never find the thing that inspired me most, drove me to create something to capture something else... that is, until I met you in, this life." He whispers, placing a soft sweet kiss on my lips.

"Another life..."

I wrap my arms around his neck.  
"And just like your dress states you have a wonderful eye for colour." "Yeah... I only draw in black and white." I say.  
"Well... then maybe you will let me brighten up your pages." He smirks.  
"Are you talking dirty to me Ronnie?" I grin.  
"What do you think?!" He laughs.  
"Yes." I say as I kiss him.  
"Hey, since were doing this, what do we class this as?" I ask.  
"Well, were courting, we kiss, I'd say were lovers for sure, I think like boyfriend and girlfriend." He says.  
"Ok." I say.  
"Are you okay with that?" He asks. "Ronald if I wasn't we wouldn't be in this position now would we." I say, pulling at his collar.  
"True." He smirks.  
"Come on ." He says grabbing my hand and leading me down stairs towards the tree.

Walking into the living room, everyone was eyeing us of course. "Have fun?" Eric smirked.  
"Oh shut it!" I whined.  
"There she is!" He laughed.

Sitting in a chair with my legs crossed to make se feel comfortable I leant back as everyone started to chatter.  
"Ok Present's!" Ronald chimed.  
"Oh cool." Alan said handing a present to Eric. I SHIP IT!  
"Wow, this is great!" Eric said pulling out a box of assorted goods.  
"Your so damn hard to shop for, but I know you love food!" Alan crossed his arms and leant back in his chair.  
Then everyone was given one.  
"Thank you for the books everyone." William said, pushing up his glasses with his index finger.

"Oh nice." Ronald said as he pulled out a bottle of cider.  
I opened my present from Ronald to reveal a set of professional colouring pencil's.  
"Oh! So you weren't talking dirty to me!" I say.  
"No! It means both." He smirked only to get kicked by William.  
"Jeez I'm sorry." He said rubbing his arm.

Ronald opened his one from me to see a bunch of chocolate goodies.  
"YES!" He yelled happily.  
"Nice going Elanora, now he's going to get hyper in the office." Alan sighed.  
I shrugged.  
"I love you so much right now." He beamed.

"WHAO! " Alan yelled looking into his present from Eric.  
"Wow, that must have set you back." Ronald said.  
"It's amazing." I say looking into the box.  
"I thought nothing was too much for Alan." Eric said.  
DENIED YOUR NOT GOING TO KNOW WHAT I SAW INSIDE.

All in all I got wine, books, chocolate, sketchbooks and pencils as well as another red corset from Grell!

Sitting at the dinner table next to William and Ronald. I looked around.  
"So who cooked?" I asked.  
"Alan." They all said in unison.  
Alan smiled proudly. I never have tried Alan's cooking. Well here goes nothing.  
"Actually, someone's missing." Ronald states.  
"Yes and even though he's annoying." Eric says.  
"And lazy and incompetent and a pain and-"  
"William." I hiss.  
"he's still one of us and he has his moments." Alan finishes quickly.  
"To Grell!" Eric says.  
"To Grell!" We all say raising a glass.  
Then digging into the food. It was great chatting and talking, even William was being merry after two or three glasses.  
"Oh yeah, then what about the time you left fake poop in Williams tea!" Ronald laughed as he pointed at Eric.  
"That was you, I gave Ronald a month of overtime for that?!" William looked to Eric who shrugged then laughed.  
"Yeah and it worked too." Eric laughed.  
"Oh yeah and then you left that spider on Elanora's desk." Alan chuckled.  
I BLOODY HATE SPIDERS.  
"That was not funny." I pout.  
"OOooooh GET IT OFF AHHHH, KILL IT SOMEONE KILL IT!" Ronald mocked.  
"Says mister, hey guys watch me dance sexily on this table only to fall off and roll around on the floor, while he was drunk no less and then have to be taken to the hospital for stitches." I laugh.  
"Shut up!" Ronald blushes at the memory.  
"That was very creative dancing there Ronald." Alan smirked.  
"Yes, you definitely deserved the overtime for that." William smiled.  
"Aww come on!" Ronald sighed in defeat.

Yawning as I sat next to Ronald, I felt myself being lifted. Everyone else had already left.  
Burying my face in the crook of Ronald's neck I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You know... I did talk dirty to you earlier." Ronald said.  
"Well... then, maybe you should continue." I smirked.  
"Dayum... it must be Christmas." Ronald smirked.


	7. Delusions?

**_Re-cap on Christmas:_**  
"Dayum it must be Christmas!" Ronald smirked.  
"Mhmm." Elanora purred as she drifted of to sleep.  
"Wow, is my dirty talk that boring... guess I've got to find new pick up lines." Ronald said wrapping her sleeping form in his arms and drifting into sleep.

**_Noah's circus arc: Elanora P.O.V_**

"You wanted to see me William?" I said standing in front of his desk.  
"Yes, due to Reaper Suttcliff's incompetence -"  
"Don't remind me Sempai, I'm already doing enough overtime as it is!" I sigh, pushing up my glasses with my index finger and crossing my arms letting my standing position lax into a more comfortable one.  
"As I was saying, if you and the other reapers have checked the records, then there is a strange goings on with the totalling."  
"Yes, Alan was the first to notice because it started on his lists, then mine, then Eric, then Ronald's and then Grell's shared overtime amount and so on and so on, forgive my tone but could you get to the point of this conversation as I am due for a collection in 15 minutes and you know I hate for my work not to be Tight, clean and or efficient." I say.  
" Due to the under staffing, I have been drafted into investigate, go undercover as it were. After your collection's you are to meet me back here as your services would be much appreciated." He says, lenses flashing in the sunlight.  
"Tell me more first, I need to know what I'm being pulled into." I say. Being serious with William is the best way to speak to him at work.  
"I will be going undercover at a circus..." He sighs.  
I want to laugh so much at the thought of him dressed as a clown, but I keep a straight expressionless face.  
"I see and what? You think your dragging me along with you, sorry Sempai but I refuse to do anything so humiliating." I state firmly.  
"Duly noted. That however is not the reason. The reason is-"  
"Ten minutes and thirty seconds." I say, looking at my pocket watch.  
"Ugh! The reason is, I am unfamiliar with what goes on in a circus, you as I understand it do, so you will assist me."  
"Fair enough, now if I may be excused." I don't mean to be rude, but I hate being late, a bad habit I picked up from Ronald that escalated immensely.  
"One more thing." He says as I reach the door.  
"Yes?" I say, my back facing him and hand on the handle, I turn my head around to meet his gaze.  
"Make sure... you have accompaniment, you are still in a recovery process and as such it was deemed that when you go out on collections you would have one person as support." William stated.  
"I am aware of this Sempai, don't worry." I say as I exit his office.

"Ready!" Ronald say's as he gets up from his desk, death scythe slung over his shoulder and playful smile on his face... it feels good to be back at work.  
"Yes, Yes now come along Ronnie, you know I hate being late !" I smile.  
"I'm starting to think I'm a bad influence on you love." Ronald says.  
"Oh please." I say as I walk out the door.

We walk out of the offices and along personnel, I suddenly feel eye's on me and start to feel uncomfortable, this always happens, just cause I'm a female dispatch officer I get perved on or shunned. Me and Ronald decided to keep our relationship discreet, because it would be the centre of attention and I hate that... but I bloody hate how the women are eying him up or still flirting with him.

I suddenly hear someone whistle and I scoff in disgust. Bloody piss takers piss me off!  
"Screw this, I'm bloody sick of it!" Ronald suddenly says.  
"Wha-" I manage only to be cut off.  
His lips smash into mine in a heated kiss, his arms wrap around my waist and pulls me closer, my face is heating up at this public display, but Ronald doesn't seem to give a shit.  
Pulling apart suddenly I pout cause that was abrupt.

"You see that you greedy bastard's! This is **_MY_** Girlfriend so keep your eye's and hand's and what ever else off!" Ronald yelled.  
I heard a few surprised angry female gasps, a few "damn it's" from a couple of males and females and then clapping... From Alan and Eric.

"Whoop's were going to be late!" Ronald says as he grabs my hand and we run to the door.

**_North London._**  
"Wow, so we went right there." I say, still embarrassed about our public display of intimacy.  
"I'm sorry... It's just, been pissing me off for a while, and now that were together, it sort of made me feel... I don't know , I just saw them and their eye's and I just couldn't take that shit!" Ronald growls slightly.  
"And now you know how I feel with those girls." I smile.  
"Yeah, but I've only got eye's for one very special girl." He says as he uses our intertwined hands to pull us closer together.  
"You've been eating the chocolate I got you for Christmas again haven't you?" I smirk.  
"Why else would I act on impulse like that." He smiles.  
"Well it's lovely to know your so protective Ronnie." "Oh look were here." He says.  
Looking down from the rooftops we see about 6 bodies on the ground, most are a bloody mess. Why is it people have the compulsive need to mess up a victim's face! Honestly, it's like respects out of fashion. Jumping down from the rooftops I pull out my rapier and then stick it in one of the victim's, while Ronald revs up his lawn mower.  
Starting to mow over the dead I start to go through one cinematic record after another. "You done yet?" Ronald called over.  
"No just one more." I say as I slash the other. I start watching the record. Basic story, lived, had a poor childhood, got into crime, died in a fight.  
Then I shudder slightly as I feel weak all over, a wave of nausea rushes through me, the record starts going backwards and then replaying certain parts maybe 5 or 6 times.  
I try and lean against the wall only to slip down it, moaning in pain as I start to feel sicker and sicker. I try to breathe and control the record like William-Sempai showed me, only it's not working this time, the cinematic record feels like it's pulling me. "Elanora. Elanora what's wrong?!" Ronald says, rushing over.  
"I... I can't, stop..." I choke, my breath hitching up in my throat and I start struggling to breathe.  
I can normally control this, I'm not a new recruit anymore, I'm a fully qualified reaper and I've had William teach me how to control this. So why can't I stop!?  
I fall backwards everything starting to go blurred and discoloured, a sort of blue colour.  
"Please... Pl...ease..."  
"Elanora!" Ronald's tries shaking me, but it feels like I'm convulsing and he can't possibly know what to do, he told me he first saw when I had a moment like this, but even then it wasn't this bad...  
Something suddenly wraps around my leg and my whole body jerks in fright, A pounding in my head starts and then suddenly everything goes white, and I'm somewhere else, I'm in the alley way, but Ronald's not here, and instead there are about sick men having a fight... I'm in the memory, I'm spectating in the greatest detail. I watch one man in particular that for me seems to be illuminated, he doesn't realize a man's behind him with a knife and that's where the memory starts ending and I start feeling myself being pulled away.

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
"Elanora wake up!" I shout. She was fine a minute ago, she was talking to me!  
She's just convulsing in my arms, I have no idea at all what to do and why this is happening. She said she could control the cinematic control! I'm trying to call her, but it sounds like she's choking! Then with she stops jerking and her eye's start glowing, the blue flecks in particular, In a sudden panic I check her pulse, she's got one, but it's so fast! I should get her to the hospital or William-Sempai or something!  
Suddenly something catches the corner of my eye. Looking down I see a reel, of the cinematic record wrapped around Elanora's ankle. Could that be it! Could it be a bad cinematic record!? I think for a moment. I'm going to cut it off. I grab my lawn mower and aim for it... and then stop... What if I'm making a mistake?! What if this does more harm!? It seems like its connecting to her, it's like she's talking. I stop, there is no other alternatives, I just want her to stop, shaking and her pulse to go back to normal. I cut it and suddenly she stops shaking and starts screaming in pain. Oh shit! Then she goes quiet. I check her pulse again and it seems to be slowing down, but soon people might be here, so I lift her up and make for the rooftops.

**_Elanora P.O.V_**

"Elanora!?" "Elanora wake up!"  
I open my eye's and there's Ronald leaning over me, worried expression on his face. I feel like total shit for starters, not to mention my stomach doing knots.  
"Ughhh... Ronnie." I groan, blood pounding through my temples.  
"Oh thank God." Ronald says holding me close.  
"I remember falling down the wall, then you, then I was in that man's memory, and then nothing." I cough slightly.  
"You dropped and then started convulsing on me and then... I didn't know what was happening." He said.  
I feel guilt again. Damn it why does this have to happen so much first the the rouge cinematic record, then the demon, now this. Man I think God hates me.  
"Ronald, don't feel bad, how are you supposed to know what's going on if even I don't." I say. Sitting up I rub the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger, trying to breathe normally.  
He rubs my cheek softly I start to feel more at ease with the pain and then I suddenly feel it again and fall side way's into Ronald.  
"Elanora!" I put my hands over my head and curl up in pain, voices running through my head, screaming, clawing at my brain rushing through memories of those I've reaped!  
"Stop screaming! Stop! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! STOP IT!" I wail and scream.  
"Elanora!?" Ronald pulls me in holding my arms that cover my head.  
NO I DON'T WANT TO BE A WEAK LITTLE DELICATE THING, I DON'T WANT TO HAVE RONALD ALWAYS CARRY ME OR HAVE TO HOLD ME CLOSE WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN.  
I open my eye's and start ignoring the voices, fighting through them.  
"NO! YOU DON'T CONTROLL ME! I DON'T HAVE TO LIVE MY LIFE BEING CAUTIOUS BECAUSE OF THIS... YOU'RE MY POWER, DAMN IT STOP RESISTING ME!" I Yelled.  
" STOP IT!" I feel tears of pain streak down my face as I writhe in shear agony.  
I heard Ronald gasp as I stiffened in anger and concentration.  
"DAMN IT OBEY ME!" My eye's suddenly flashed and then everything went quiet.  
It all stopped, pain, the voices...  
I panted slightly, getting up and putting my hands on my knee's.  
"Elanora what the hell!?" Ronald panicked.  
"I know... It's just, It's resisting me." I huffed.  
"What?!.. your telling me that your power is what!? Being disobedient?!" Ronald said in disbelief.  
"Exactly... It now needs more than a little thought... Otherwise it will attack me, because I... don't have the strength to control it."

"Ronald... you tell no one else about this... do you understand?" I say.  
"Wait what!?" Ronald said.  
"Some people don't know I can supress a cinematic record, only William, some of the higher ups and you and Eric and Alan... Might see it as something sinister... Please Ronald." I start coughing.  
"Fine, but... try not to worry me like that again." He sighs, rubbing the back of his head.  
He probably doesn't know what else to say.

**_Flash forward to William's favour._**

"Okay then it depends on what sort of act you want to do depending on how stupid your prepared to go." I said. I'm still preoccupied about earlier... how can I ask Ronald to keep this secret for me, that's a big ask, even if we are courting.  
"Not too stupid, there's only so low you can go before you reach Grell's level." William sighed.  
"Fine, so there's dagger throwing, tight rope walking, taming, I think juggling... um also I think there's just the back stage hands sorry Sempai, but it's been a while since I even thought about the circus." I sighed.  
"You seem preoccupied has something happened?" Sempai said looking at me with his bloody piercing eye's.  
"Sempai... What exactly is written about the cinematic suppression?" I ask... Well I suppose I can tell Sempai.  
"Not much is known about it, there never was really a recorded case, you as it so happens are the first and only one to have this power." He states.  
"I know that much, but was anything ever mentioned about what it does specifically?" I asked.  
"Well, you feel emotions when witnessing a cinematic record more easily as well as the usual re-wind, pause and so on, is something bothering you?" He said... Oh there it is.  
"When out on a collection with Ronald, I started to not have control of the cinematic record and it then I- it was like I went into the memory and was looking around and no one could see me, I was like a ghost or an on looker but I could see everything, even the things the person didn't see." I explain.  
"I see and did anything happen before this, like nausea or some such?"  
"I felt sicker and sicker and then I lost my balance and then I found it hard to breathe and everything went blurry. According to Ronald after that I went into convulsion's and apparently a part of the reel was clinging onto me." I explain.  
"I see... Well in a way I'm stumped, but I presume you didn't tell me immediately because of the fact you like to be independent and in a way taking away your collection shifts takes that away, am I correct?" He narrows his eye and pushes up his glasses.  
"Well... Yes and I had to sort of figure something out, because it's almost like it's disobeying me, like the suppression is acting against me until I had to push myself until I had control." I say.  
"Well, I'm not too sure, but I shall search through the Reaper Archives for you, but until I find anything I must extend your period of having a support, do you understand this?" William says.  
"Yes sir. I fully understand." Shit...

**_Later._**  
"See Sempai, your very good at the tightrope." I smile.  
"Indeed, though maybe you should accompany me as you seem to be excellent at knife throwing."  
"Hey, you have to learn to throw a knife before you can throw a card or rose... and as tempting as your offer is Sempai I must decline." I smile.  
"What on earth is that noise?" William asked.  
My ears pricking to a humming sound, getting louder and louder, until..  
"AHAHAHAHAHHAHA!" Ronald Knox!  
Flying through the doors with his lawn mower, I did a double take only to realize..  
"RONALD!" I screamed as I was suddenly run over with his lawn mower, the blades thankfully not touching me, but whirling over my ears.  
I screamed in surprise at being so close to the blades, though it was probably taken as a scream of OH MAH GUWD!  
"OH SHIT!" Ronald yelled, grabbing the lawn mower and lifting it off of me.  
I breathed a sigh of relief.  
"I... never.. thought it was... in style for ones boyfriend... to try and kill... their... girlfriend!" I growled through pants. Screw my life he's messed up.  
"OH I'M SO SO SORRY!" He says helping me up.  
"I thought I had forbidden you to start that within the building. Mister Knox." William said coldly. Yeah this isn't going to earn Ronald any points in Williams good books for being my boyfriend.  
"Well I wanted to make an entrance, I didn't think it would potentially kill anyone." He said, guiltily rubbing the back of his head. "Sure! Any way what was the entrance for." I groaned.  
"Well..." He stopped and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into him and our noses touching.  
"You. me. a nice restaurant, no interruptions." Ronald said lovingly, almost on the borders of sexily.  
"And what makes you think that I would want to go out on a date with someone that tries to turn me into mush." I smirk.  
"Because... I love you... and you love me and it's one of the best restaurants with the hardest table booking schedule." He whined.  
"Oh I see how it is, well for starters yes and I do love you." I smirk.  
"Uhum!" William cleared his throat.  
Awkward.  
"Whoops." Ronald yelled, clearly evacuating the premises. "Hey wait, WHAT TIME?!" I yell.  
" Seven, casual but classy, probably that green and yellow dress!" Ronald smirked, high tailing out the door.  
I need to get a lock for my furniture.

**_Restaurants and robberies_**  
" Ron oh my god." I said looking around the crowded restaurant, expensively furnished, a red sort of lighting around the room .  
"Shhh... don't worry about anything." He said as we were led to a table, oh god I'm feeling uncomfortable already.  
I hate places like this cause I feel so out of place.  
"Your table." The waiter said before placing a couple of menu's on the table and then leaving.  
I sit down and look at the menu, I already feel tense as it is, this isn't a date it's torture!  
Looking at the prices on the menu my blood pressure sky rockets. HOW CAN RONALD AFFORD THIS!  
"Ronald... this is so expen-"  
"No it's not, I haven't been out much lately so I have money to spend, now relax and pick something and don't go for the lowest priced thing, I'm happy to pay what ever." He smiled.

He's bloody mental!

In the end I ordered beef donbuiri. While Ronald went and ordered something I CANT EVEN PRONOUNCE!

Sitting and chatting for a while we were enjoying our time together and even though I felt on edge I still felt happy.  
After our meal came and we ate our meal.  
"Why are you so tense?" Ronald said.  
"Well... I feel out of place when I go to places like this, it's so high maintenance and stuffy, so many rules and then if you wear the wrong thing etc..." I said.

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
Well I should probably have planned this a little better, like I don't know, thinking about what she doesn't like... come on Ronald you knew this ! When I asked Eric-sempai for ideas he said a fancy meal and maybe something like the opera or an orchestra concert was good. Now I'm starting to think otherwise. Luckily... I JUST PLAYED IT SAFE WITH THE MEAL!

After leaving the restaurant and taking her back to her house, we sat down on her chairs... I feel terrible way to ruin a nice night.  
"What's wrong?" She said looking up at me.  
"Well... you didn't really enjoy the evening did, you, I mean I should have remembered you don't like place like that and I-"  
"What makes you think I didn't have a nice time." She said a light smile on her face.  
"Well.."  
"Ronald as long as I'm around you it was a great evening, besides it was a lovely gesture for you to take me out somewhere so nice." She smiled warmly.  
"You're just saying that to make me feel better." I sighed.  
"Oh my... is that truly what you think of me! I'm deeply hurt!" She said.  
Oh shit.  
" NO I DIDN'T MEAN I- MMMHHH." Her lips forcefully smashed into mine, knocking the wind out of me.  
"Well..." She smirked pulling away. I froze shocked and then grinned.  
"You've definitely been hanging around me too much." I laughed.  
"Oh is that because I'm doing this or because of the fact that I'm willing to let you open my wine cupboard."  
"You want wine?" I asked... I might just try and get her wasted... just a tad...  
"One bottle Knox don't push your luck!"

**_2 days later. Elanora P.O.V_**  
Well Sempai's off to the circus... hahahahahahhaha! OH WOW!  
WHEN RONALD FOUND OUT HE SO TEASED HIM SO MUCH IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE!  
...But then he got given watch over the murders that were being committed in his absence and that means, I'm going too cause it's on my route!

Over time...

Walking along the rooftops we stopped and watched as a man in a circus get up kill the last police officer left alive. I feel something... I know I do... but... this time I really am not at all sentimental... if anything... I feel nothing.

"Come on then!" Ronald says as he picks up his lawnmower then stops.  
"Be careful...okay." He says.  
"I will... I will." I say.  
William as it turns out did find something out for me, though it's only a fairy tale.

_When the bell towers tolls and the flowers grow old._  
_When the waters grow troubled and the bodies turn cold._  
_A reaper with the sea splashed in their eye's._  
_A reaper with so many ties._

_One the clock strikes one the story has begun._  
_When the clock strikes three, another's song is sung._  
_When the clock strikes six all reapers within the mix._  
_When the clocks strikes nine no one will be fine._  
_When the clock strikes twelve with the sound of a bell, a reaper finds themselves in hell._

_When the leaves fade away and the promise to stay, the record will be frozen._  
_Like in cold winter time or a nursery rhyme._

_The reaper with sea freckled eye's will meet their demise._  
_A pain and a choice and a head shredding voice..._  
_A whim and a wail._  
_A heartbreak betrayal._

_The screams of the dead._  
_Bodies covered in red._  
_Will need them to know how they loved them so._

_When the clock strikes twelve, the Grim reaper who fell._  
_The Grim Reapers cold shell._  
_The Grim reaper who loved._  
_The Grim reapers blood, lay on another's hand._  
_Oh what could they do._  
_If it were not the two..._

_When the clock strikes twelve the shattered will spell..._  
_Deaths cold fingers snare, gasping for air..._

_The cinematic record slows as it re-tells the woes._  
_Of the reaper with sea freckled eye's._

It seems like nonsense to me... in some parts... but... some of it sounds like me.  
I mean it's probably just a fairy tale but still...

After reaping the bloody corpses of the police men, we sat on the rooftops and waited.  
The police arrived and as we watched I felt with cold winter wind blow through my hair.  
Dawn breaking and Ronald picking up his lawnmower, we made our way back to headquarters.

Stopping at a rooftop near far enough away, Ronald summoned a portal for us to go back in.  
I suddenly felt a shiver run up my spine and eye's on my form, I turn around and then I see... A figure dressed in nothing, but black, black hood, cape, shoes, everything, except... a long purple ribbon round the cloak and piercing violet eye's... A demon?!

I blink and then nothing... it's like she wasn't there.  
"Are you okay, you aren't listening?" Ronald said.  
His eye's going over to the point of my fixated gaze.  
"I could've sworn... I..."  
"You're , just tired.. once we get back you can sleep in the lounge okay." He says softly, taking my hand.

I'm just tired aren't I? Aren't I...

Aren't I...?

_When the bell towers tolls and the flowers grow old._  
_When the waters grow troubled and the bodies turn cold._  
_A reaper with the sea splashed in their eye's._  
_A reaper with so many ties._

_One the clock strikes one the story has begun._  
_When the clock strikes three, another's song is sung._  
_When the clock strikes six all reapers within the mix._  
_When the clocks strikes nine no one will be fine._  
_When the clock strikes twelve with the sound of a bell, a reaper finds themselves in hell._

_When the leaves fade away and the promise to stay, the record will be frozen._  
_Like in cold winter time or a nursery rhyme._

_The reaper with sea freckled eye's will meet their demise._  
_A pain and a choice and a head shredding voice..._  
_A whim and a wail._  
_A heartbreak betrayal._

_The screams of the dead._  
_Bodies covered in red._  
_Will need them to know how they loved them so._

_When the clock strikes twelve, the Grim reaper who fell._  
_The Grim Reapers cold shell._  
_The Grim reaper who loved._  
_The Grim reapers blood, lay on another's hand._  
_Oh what could they do._  
_If it were not the two..._

_When the clock strikes twelve the shattered will spell..._  
_Deaths cold fingers snare, gasping for air..._

_The cinematic record slows as it re-tells the woes._  
_Of the reaper with sea freckled eye's..._

_  
_


	8. What lurks beneath

Looking over the dead bodies of the police men as the sun rose I stopped for a minute to look at the circuses bloody handy work. As more and more human crowd the scene I see a man mourning over the loss of so many of his co-workers.  
"Come on Love." Ronald said obviously sensing my feeling of pity for the poor fellow.  
"Yeah, We have the day off after this so why don't we go home get some sleep and then go out somewhere, we could go to a party or something, the accounting departments having one." Ronald smiled taking my hand.  
"Yeah that sounds good." I yawned.  
"You know I can carry you home." He laughed.  
Normally I would say no, but... Then I get a piggy back, so why the hell not.  
I jumped on his back like he was a damn horse.  
"Whoa there ok come on."

The next day sitting at my desk as usual I wrote furiously on my report sheets, were so understaffed at dispatch that we have to fill out even more reports and documents as well as undertaking even more soul collections. Grell didn't help anything by being a twat and getting suspended. Were so understaffed that William-Sempai has been called out to go undercover... at a circus no less, but because of the fact the case interferes with our reports, lists so on it had to be investigated... and because were so understaffed a member of management such as William-Sempai, one that runs the department is away, were in complete chaos. Eric-Sempai is the next highest up in dispatch, so he has take on the role, but even he's finding it hard, with running the place, filling out reports and doing his own collections. Alan has been helping him, but so much stress might not be such a good thing. He was in the hospital last week cause he started having an attack, at first we didn't notice him go pale and flinch, but then he collapsed and started clawing at his chest, like he was trying to rip his own heart out. I freaked out and screamed, cause it was just me, him and Ronald. Ronald turned round and helped me get him up, I thought we were making it worse by moving him, but he's back at work now and allowed to do collections again, so long as it's with support, which brings me to another point, since we both need support we've been paired most of the time. In one way its good in another not, because I've been blacking out lately and if that happened while he had an attack we would both be screwed. I explained this to Ronald and he was not happy about the fact that such a situation might occur. He called the head of operations and lists a twat... and then got given even more over time when he was standing right behind him. Which is mostly paperwork because he's getting his lawnmower repaired, long story short, one of the girls from accounting was not pleased when she found out me and him were a long term couple, especially since, she had asked him out twice, but he said no both times, which was because he had feelings for me... Awkward. I think she jammed a stapler in there at it exploded the front! Right in William's office no less...

I love Ronald. I do, but he needs to watch what he says, every time he says something he shouldn't I almost have a heart attack.  
Which is why I haven't told him about what William-Sempai found for me in the reaper archives. I don't know... I will at some point this week, Sempai also found me a book on the cinematic suppression myth. It says that I have to have a clear head and that emotions are mine, maybe it means be the master of my emotion... good luck with that. I freaked the hell out when Alan collapsed. I was really depressed when me and Ronald had a fight I don't think I'm going to be able to do that.

"Elanora come on, it's time to go get it!" Ronald smirked.  
"Get what?" I asked.  
"My death scythe! And then go get Grell-Sempai!" He yelled... OOOH CRAP!  
I got up from my desk and then started walking towards the door Ronald running to catch up with me.  
Walking into General affairs, Ronald slipped his hand into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a filling document for a modified death scythe.  
"Hey Elanora." Sally said. Now Sally is brilliant, loves good books and chocolate, she was going to go into dispatch but she switched to general affairs when she finally understood that for your final exam you have to watch a human die. Something not every ones cut out for, though I'm trying to convince her to do the test and join dispatch.

"Hey Sally how is work today?" I asked.  
"Busy as all hell what about in dispatch?" She asked. "Don't even get me started." I sighed.  
"Ok dispatch officer Knox you are cleared for the lawn mower but not the chainsaw." She turned to Ronald.  
"Of course, you had to give him a favour didn't you." I scoffed.  
"What then he owes me!" Ronald smirked.  
"That's not the point you are not cleared to take the lawn mower." Sally crossed her arms.  
"I'll get you a date with Fredrick from dispatch." He said.  
she hesitated for a moment and then nodded, wow! That was easy I didn't know she liked Fredrick... he's a little twat that likes too many women and parties, he is always late to work and collection... sounds familiar except the fact that Ronald is much more of a hard worker and kinder and loving and I'm rambling on now...

She handed Ronald two large boxes.  
I picked up the smaller one which I presumed to be the chainsaw.  
"I can carry that you know." Ronald said.  
"No it's fine." I smiled .  
"You sure cause it looks heavy.." He said.  
"Ronald I'm a lady not a mouse, I can manage just fine." I said.  
"But-"  
"No I am perfectly capable Ronald Knox! " I said slightly annoyed.  
I smiled when he flinched slightly at the aura around me.  
"Oh... Oh Okay..." He said.  
I laughed and he pouted like a child that got his toy taken away.  
"Hey!" He said.  
"Never mess with a girls pride." I smirked.

**_Later on._**  
"Oh, I see." I said as I looked at Eric at Williams desk. Alan sat leant against the wall while Ronald stood beside me hands in his pockets as usual.  
"Basic jist of it is that it's going to be large job, this is William-Sempai's last part of his assignment and he has requested back up so you two and Grell will assist though Grell will deal with the Phantomhive mansion." Eric explained slouching over the desk like he was about to go to sleep.  
"Fair enough but Grell-Sempai just got let off suspension so why give him a lone assignment?" I asked, pushing my glasses up with my index finger.  
"Just to see how he is and if we need to further his suspension." Alan explained.  
"Fair point, but I'm not going to be comfortable with it." I sighed.  
"Who would? anyway you and Ronald are to rendezvous with Grell in London." Eric said, sprawling his hands out on the desk.  
"No time for sleeping we have paper work!" Alan frowned.

**_Meeting with a mad man..._**  
"AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"  
Ugghhhh I'm slowly loosing the will to live...  
Grell starts revving up his chainsaw and is completely beside himself.  
"Hey that took us a lot to get that we had to talk around the girl from general affairs it -"  
"I WILL REPAY YOU IN HARD WORK! Besides this is very special because I get to see my ever ever.."He started revving up his chainsaw and finally aims it towards Ronald.  
Uh oh.  
"ahahahahahhahha..."  
Ronald starts to break a sweat, looking at the sharp revolving blade of the death scythe.  
I summon my rapier and ready it carefully.  
He suddenly lunged forward in a fit of delight and almost sent Ronald over the edge as he jumped back, only for me to shakily block his blade with my rapier.

"Ohohoho ever so special Sebas-Chan!" He squealed revving his lawnmower up even more. I struggled my shoulder starting to sear with pain at the shear amount of pressure being put onto it.  
"Grell! You had best calm down, your... on thin ice as it is..." I grunted, trying to hold off the blade.  
"Oh I've heard that before, besides it's Sutcliff-Sempai to you!" He smirked kicking me into the stomach and sending me straight into the wall with a loud crack.  
For a moment I sat there, what looked like me in a daze was actually me planning out all the horrible ways I could end his life.  
I stood up head bowed so my hair covered my face and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.  
"Everyone take it easy, we have a job to do." Ronald said.  
"We don't have to be there just yet..." I say coldly raising my rapier and pointing the tip at him.  
"Oooh I've been so bored they made me clean and do chores all through out my confinement." He squealed slashing at me violently.  
I kept parrying, but I was at a disadvantage, he had a large automated weapon while I had a smaller more agile weapon... HOW DID I WIN AGAINST RONALD!?  
Oh... my cards... my roses should work.  
I stumbled as he slammed his knee into my stomach. Recoiling he slapped me across the face, luckily as I spun I lodged my rose in and with a pained sound it stopped.

I adjusted my speed accordingly and went around to his blind spot and the I kicked him into the wall. "Not again why you little...!  
"You made me bleed and I'm not happy about that more importantly if I continue to feed your already massive ego we shall be late for our assignments, which..." I pushed up my glasses with my index finger.  
"I would rather not be late for." I said coldly.  
"Ohohoh, the cold reaction, the even colder answer, just like WILLIAM! I SEE WHY YOU LIKE HER SO MUCH RONALD!" He squealed... Fan girling moments...  
"Are you saying I have a thing for William-Sempai!?" Ronald asked aggravated.  
His head sprouting a somewhat annoyed little vain... how cute.  
"No I'm just saying I'm so glad you look for classy mates now, a lot of the other ones were kind of sluts!" Grell shivered.  
"Well thanks I guess." I said.  
"SEBAS-CHAN!" Grell screamed jumping off the building we were currently on.  
Looking at his watch briskly Ronald almost jumped in panic.  
"Holy Death! WERE GOING TO BE LATE ELANORA COME ON!" Ronald grabbing my hand and jumping off the side of the building at top speed...

**_Seeing Sempai..._**  
" I can't believe Personnel left it so late to send out more staff, especially since this whole mansion by it's self is not a one man job... So they sent you two... Ronald Knox... Elanora Hawthorn... You're late." William-Sempai said pushing up his glasses.  
"Sorry Sempai, I thought we rushed to get here don't you think Elanora?" Ronald smirked from his perching position on a more elevated part of the roof. Such a tricky assignment as it is, I had read that the mansion was engulfed in flames, I had at once understood that when I looked into all the children's deaths and seen that they burnt to death, but this was just a crazy ask of the Death list department.  
I flipped open my Death book and had a little look see and what I was up against. Sighing in annoyance I said "We would have gotten here faster but... An idiot was making tom foolery." I pushed up my glasses.  
"Why Sempai are you disappointed it was us?" Ronald smirked pulling out his Death book, his was smaller than mine and a bit more messy with page dividers sticking out all over the book pages...  
"No, I thought because tonight was so busy I would have got him, that's all, I am actually very lucky." William Sighed.  
It's true. Even though we seem like pro's we actually have only been doing this for about 3 years not including the time spent training and studying, so we technically are Juniors year one was when I lost Darina...

"Yeah Sutcliff-Sempai has an easier job, where was it now a mansion...um?" Ronald rubbed the back of his head, trying to find that niggling little memory at the back of his head. "Phantomhive?" William asked.  
"Yeah that's it!" Ronald said.  
"Can we get moving, we should get to the souls quickly and do it before the fire gets anymore out of control, lest it be unstable to collect the souls and a danger to the rest of us." I said in annoyance.  
Pointless chatter was not needed now, there would be time for words later... a lot of them...  
"It really is pointless as we only serve to collect the souls of the dead, now a days we simply check the list to make sure no errors were made and check again. Simply put we are just running errands and the fact is there really aren't many people that don't deserve death." William said pushing up his glasses.  
"So your saying our job is just a formality, I feel so good about myself." I laughed harshly.  
"Well shall we get started?" Ronald said.  
"Yes. The fire was started by a demon, though." William said casually.  
"WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" Ronald yelled.  
"Oh great." I moaned.  
A sudden burst of demonic hellfire made me jump back in concern while Sempai stayed perfectly still, glasses illuminated by the flames... I don't know anymore but I think most of us Grim Reapers are sick in the head by now.  
"Though the demon may still be hungry, we should in any case not let our guards down and collect the souls quickly." William put his book underneath his arm.  
"Alrighty then!" Ronald said, flashing off his newly modified lawn mower.  
"Is that Death scythe allowed for use and fully permitted?" William asked, eying at how suspicious it was to be fixed and brand baby spanking new in no time at all.  
"Yep! I helped out one of the Girls in general affairs so it's a favour in a way." Ronald smirked as he started to rev up the damn thing a smile of contentment gracing his face as he heard the familiar whizzing of the blades.  
"Very well then." I said pulling out my rapier, the blade being stained a fluorescent orange by the present hellfire.

Jumping down from the rood of the house we collected the soul of a little boy on the floor, at least... I thought it was a boy, but it was a girl, I kept quiet as I looked threw the cinematic record, trying to keep calm as I had a look at some of the memories that were incredibly graphic.  
As it stopped I pulled out my pen and my book, flicking through the pages I came to the page marked "Doll" No memorable remarks, death by demon, a horrible way to go. I wrote in about the remarks and then flipped my pen upside down to stamp the page as completed.  
I then proceeded to put my pen in my inside pocket and put my book away moving further inside the burning house. Carefully avoiding the blade and ramshackle crisp floor boards towards more dead children. They were pretty much charred as it was, but some of their eyes were still open, but with a certain type of lifelessness not even death could provide. And considering the type of room I was in, I don't think I wanted to know what caused it, but I'm sure satanic rituals were involved as per usual these days.

Suddenly noticing a flash of pink I turned around to a figure in a black hood, all I could really see were ominous purple eye's.  
Oh shit...  
It looked exactly like the demon some weeks ago.  
I flashed in front of my face swinging widely in a shrill shriek, it echoing almost like in a chasm.  
I threw several cards at it, but it brushed them away like nothing, again going into a defensive stance it slashed continuously at me.  
"Elanora!?" Ronald's voice rang through the halls.  
Oh no... If he comes in here he's in danger, just like I am.  
In my sudden loss of concentration, it slammed me against the burning wall, luckily not catching on fire as ricocheted off the wall and fell to the floor with a loud thud.  
The force was so powerful that I felt weak as I tried to stand up.  
"Elanora you're taking too lon- WHAT THE HELL!?" Ronald yelled as he dodged one of it attacks.  
I jumped to my feet only to dodge another attack. As the supports of the building started to weaken and collapse the creature with haste turned around to make an exit.  
"Stop, Wait!" I yelled starting to run after it only to be blocked by a mess of scorching debris falling in my path.  
It stopped and turned around. Glaring at me with it's haunting purple eye's the shade seeming somewhat familiar to me.  
"I'll take away... Everyone you've ever loved... Elanora Hawthorn." I screeched and then disappeared in gush of demonic energy.  
My heart stopped and I gasped in shock... she knew my name, how did she know my name, but the last part scared me the most.  
Because it threatens everyone I hold dear...

Before I can even think straight I'm outside. I can't even interpret what's going on until.  
"Elanora?!" "Elanora!"

I snap out of my daze immediately yelling " Holy shit!"  
"Elanora? are you alright, you blacked out again." William-Sempai said.  
What? I don't remember blacking out.  
"Aw crap the souls, hold on." I say sitting up and pulling out my book.

Completed.  
YES! I did it!  
No more over time for me bitches!

"It's fine you finished before the incident." Ronald said from behind me.  
I turned my head only for it to bump against each other.  
"Ow watch it!" He moaned.  
I felt him take a hand away from my waist, apparently I was being held, how pleasant... and rubbed his forehead.  
"Sorry." I say.  
I sort of know what's happening now, with the powers, thing anyway and even though it has been an eventful night... I need to tell Ronald the truth and hope it's not too much to handle.  
"Were done here, we should head back and write a report out about the "Whole" incident." William said pushing up his glasses with his death scythe.

**_Williams office._**  
"So what have you learnt?" William asked me, flicking a pen through his fingers. Sitting at his desk, just like normal.  
" Well it seems if I don't process my emotions or state of mind correctly it will cause a simultaneous black out." I said.  
"Good." William said pushing up his glasses.  
"Sempai, because of the incident are you going to once again extend my support period?" I asked, dreading the answer I might receive. I'm not some incapable child. Even if I am a junior I don't need support all the time.  
"No, actually that is what I called you here for, as you seem perfectly capable, as of tomorrow you will be fully re-assigned solo task work." He said, cold voice present as ever if not even colder at the need for sleep of a cup of tea.  
"Thank you Sempai, will that be all for tonight as Dispatch officer Knox is waiting for me." I said, still careful of the boyfriend subject around, shall we say my "Keeper".  
"Yes actually, I assume you have not told Ronald about the myth that was located in the Grim Reaper Library?" William looked straight in my eye's.  
"I'll take your lack of speech as a no." William sighed.  
"So what I've just got with him an you expect me to drop a bombshell like that and still have him be like sure we cool, no he might just leave me, besides I'm going to sit him down and tell him tonight." I sighed, pushing a piece of stray hair away from my nose.  
"Dropping the bomb may not be a bad thing in actual fact, simply tell him, if he really loves you he should understand as I do." William said.  
The voice of Reason as usual.  
"If you act like this he'll think you're pregnant or something, speaking of which, have you actually been engaging in such activities?"  
"You what!?" I shriek.  
"Well I could take that as a yes, basically any type of oral sex or...!""No NO WE HAVE NOT AND IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUISNESS IF WE DID EITHER!" I shout.  
"Fair enough." He said as I walked out of the door.  
Well that's one thing over with now, to get to Ronald...

Is it going to be that simple... I doubt it...

**_At Ronald's house._**  
I walk around the room waiting for him to come in after he's changed into a new shirt.  
He walks in briskly, a plain white shirt and black trousers, no waist coat and a red belt.  
"Why are you pacing around, you only do that when your worried..." He said, looking me over.  
I was wearing a plain black top, green cardigan and matching skirt.  
"Sit down... we need to talk." I say.  
"Okay now that worries me." He said taking a seat on the lounge chair.  
I sit next to him and look down into my lap, I avoid meeting his eye's because I just don't know if I'm going to be able to at least choke out these words.  
"Ronald, there's something I need to tell you." I say.  
"You're not leaving me are you!?" He asked, panic rising in his voice.  
"NO NO! NEVER IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" I say, panicking that he would think that.  
"It's well, you know how I keep blacking out..." I start.  
"Don't tell me it's something more than that." He said.  
"Well I had William-Sempai have a look in the Grim reaper archives for me and he found this." I say handing him the book.  
"Ok... so you want me to read this page?" He said.  
"Yeah, if you need to read it more than once." I say quietly.

When the bell towers tolls and the flowers grow old.  
When the waters grow troubled and the bodies turn cold.  
A reaper with the sea splashed in their eye's.  
A reaper with so many ties.

When the clock strikes one the story has begun.  
When the clock strikes three, another's song is sung.  
When the clock strikes six all reapers within the mix.  
When the clocks strikes nine no one will be fine.  
When the clock strikes twelve with the sound of a bell, a reaper finds themselves in hell.

When the leaves fade away and the promise to stay, the record will be frozen.  
Like in cold winter time or a nursery rhyme.  
The reaper with sea freckled eye's will meet their demise.

A pain and a choice and a head shredding voice...  
A whim and a wail.  
A heartbreak betrayal.  
The screams of the dead.  
Bodies covered in red.

Will need them to know how they loved them so.  
When the clock strikes twelve, the Grim reaper who fell.  
The Grim Reapers cold shell.  
The Grim reaper who loved.  
The Grim reapers blood, lay on another's hands.  
Oh what could they do.  
If it were not the two...  
When the clock strikes twelve the shattered will spell...  
Deaths cold fingers snare, gasping for air...  
The cinematic record slows as it re-tells the woes.  
Of the reaper with sea freckled eye's.

Ronald dropped the book on the floor, I looked up to see his face go pale and pure terror radiating from his face, this was worse than what I was expecting.  
"It's... talking about you isn't it?" He said.  
"Yes, I'm sorry, but I didn't know how to tell you and I thought you wouldn't take it well and your not and-" I almost feel like crying.  
"You idiot you should have told me!" He raises his voice slightly and then he's holding me, like our lives depend on it, that if he lets go we'll slip away.  
"Ronald.. I.."  
"I won't loose you.. I've been there before... I won't!" He almost declares.  
"Ronald, I don't want you to make any promises, because you might not have a say in the matter of keeping them." I say.  
"I won't loose you and that's that, there nothing else to it." He says as he pulls us onto the chair together.  
"I love you Ronald, remember that." I say.  
"I love you too and you're not going any where, not while I can help it." He says.

I want to stay with you forever.  
But I can only stay... If fate allows me...  



	9. This sense of dejavu?

"I'll meet you there... be careful." Ronald said, as he stood in the ship corridor. A grand ship, set sail for America... such a shame it was going to sink.  
"I will, you be careful too." I said as we parted ways. Walking down the corridor I breathed an agitated sigh... Fair enough I'm a grim reaper, but I still don't like the fact that I'm on bored a sinking ship in the middle of the cold as ice Atlantic ocean, the fact I'm going to have to be in it when it sinks because Ronald and Grell didn't think that part through. Oh and were here to investigate moving corpses and soul in discrepancies which always means there's some creepy demonic shit involved. Grell was off being Grell and now me and Ronald have decided to part ways to cover more ground. So I'm not going to be in a good mood by any means. Walking through the corridors I turn and slash at one of the corpses heads. I haven't time for such petty occurrences as I have another matter to attend to, so I walk on this time letting my bored expression portray itself on my face as I walk past the hideous mush and blood stained flesh, pulling out my Death book I search through a list of names and then I see one, somewhat familiar. I turn around and next to the corpse is a small girl, probably 9, raggedy clothes, horrified expression and drenched in a canvas of her own putrefying blood... The usual for this sort of thing.  
"Poor dear." I say solemnly... I don't have the heart to slash her with my rapier so I use a card instead, throwing it in and immediately pulling it out to look through the cinematic record.

Mary Thyme **_Complete_**  
Born: June 29th Age: 9 Daughter of Able Thyme and Martha Thyme.  
Died of severe blood loss and loss of innards.  
Remarks none.

I stamp my page and then close the book. I would like to close her horrified eye's if not to ease my own agitation, but it is not my place to do so, besides, not many people will know she existed let alone care after tonight.

Walking through more bodies I come across more souls and then study my pocket watch...  
OH CRAP I'M SUPPOSED TO BE AT FIRST CLASS BY NOW!  
I break into a run unforgivingly slashing more corpses while putting my book between my arms to heighten my running speed.  
I quickly make it to the door of the supposed room.  
Before I can even process the ensuing fight I pull and throw a card with pure instinct, it clashing with a piece of cutlery, locking together.  
My eye's dart forward to the blood red eye's of the familiar butler... Grell goes on about him constantly his "Sebastian- Darling or SEBAS-CHAN!", and I met him last year while out on assignment with William. I glare, in annoyance at being targeted before I even set foot in the room, him being a filthy demon and also him having the nerve to outmatch me with throwing weaponry.

That Boy stands there too, only this time in much more tailored clothes, expensive as well as the bandage covering his eye replaced with a black eye patch. Of high society, I assume the butler belongs to him and he must be aware it's a demon, as well as William-Sempai informing me that he is bound to the boy by a contract and that the boy was the earl of Phantomhive. "I don't want to get stuck with over time for a reason like that, as well as the fact you just tried to best Dispatch officer Hawthorn in throwing weaponry. A very wrong move on your part." Ronald said, his lawn mower almost an inch away from the demon's face, if it were not for his hands.  
"I'm going on ahead. After you've finished playing with him a bit come after me!" The Earl shouted. Running off within seconds, he was fast for a small little thing. "What a bad attitude. Kids these days.. Ughhh!" Ronald moaned. Oh you think this is the time to act bored, do you?  
"Are you sure this the time to be looking else-where?" Sebastian said, then throwing Ronald lawnmower with his hands still attached over Ronald's head and then narrowly missing the demons leg swing into his face.  
"Whoa!" He said pushing his body in the air with the support of his lawn mower.  
While jumping back I threw a barrage of roses at the demon, only to be blocked by his cutlery. So throwing was out of the question. He threw another knife at me and I back flipped in the air to dodge the attack and then he switched opponents from me to Ronald. Throwing tons of cutlery at him, he merely smirked as he used his lawn mower to collect and dismember the expensive silverware. "The death scythe lives up to it's reputation I see." The demon commented as the cutlery clattered onto the floor dismembered and broken.  
I slashed at him with my rapier, him flashing backwards to avoid me.  
"It's sharpness is guaranteed, hm?" He smirked... He's already annoying the hell out of me as it is.  
"You betcha!" Ronald smirked. He's not helping anything either. Ronald then dashed forward surprising the butler and making a slash across his cheek with, his switch blade. He used it while his lawn mower was broken. "Focusing on the death scythe just cos I'm a grim reaper, that's the old way of doing things." Ronald said, putting the blood smeared blade on his cheek.  
"Children these day's truly do have bad attitudes." Sebastian said wiping his face.  
"I rather would not have us be addressed as children." I say coldly as I attack him with my rapier. He counters and I quickly side step to dodge the counter. "And yet your not old people are you?" He retorts.  
"We are young adults now if you would excuse me, I would rather you disappear as we do not need the unnecessary overtime." I say coldly.  
Running past him and then having slipped past his kicks I elbowed him in the ribs and flipped over his cutlery one more, seriously all he's got?!  
"You remind me of that Grim Reaper, that's when we were first acquainted. With William. T. Spears." He says as he again dodges my attack.  
That's when I realize, he's holding back.  
"Oh I see, you think because I'm a lady I'm weak. How rude." I say throwing a rose, as bait and then whipping it back at the last second. Now, as he threw the cutlery I threw my cards again and somehow he still dodged.  
"Childish tricks will not aid your endeavour ." He smirked as he swiped his leg under me. Sending me to the ground, I picked my self up immediately before he had a chance to kick in my head, I dashed past him while Ronald swiped at him with his lawn mower... Finally no more tag teaming.  
"You're as good as they say." Ronald smirks sidestepping the demons attack easily, as if it were mere child's play to him, though that's the way it's always been.  
"Why thank you." Sebastian said, suddenly behind Ronald, only for Ronald to notice at the wrong time.  
Noticing I blocked with my rapier, trying to overpower the demon, already knowing I'm loosing Ronald checks his watch, face suddenly lifting in surprise.  
"Oopsie ! It's almost time!" Ronald said pushing his lawn mower towards the door. I readied myself to push the demon off me and then get out of the door, especially if I was going to be late!  
"We can't be playing around now, come on love." Ronald shouts...  
I tense... The demon smirks at me, red eye's looking into mine, that evil smirk sends chills down my spine, because now he's found my weakness...  
I jump backwards to the door glaring at the demon.  
"So on that note, see ya laaaater, Sebastian Daling!" He then grabs my hand and hops on his lawn mower pulling me on it with him. The acceleration speed is brilliant, but at the same time a bit weird also another name in the work place for his is lawn mower riding grim reaper. "Were going to be late, oh great...!?" Ronald stopped mid sentence noticing that there was not reaction from me at all. Not even a peep about the efficiency. I was too preoccupied.  
"Elanora are you alright?" He asked leaning over my shoulder as we stopped and started to run through the corridor.  
"He knows..." I said blankly.  
"What do you mean?!" Ronald asked, confused expression clearing up the understanding of him not being able to understand.  
"You called me love, just once but enough for him to know..." I said.  
"Oh bloody hell." Ronald smacked his palm into his face.  
"I'm not mad, we just need to be careful." I say.  
"Shit, I'm such an idiot." Ronald growled.  
"Don't beat yourself up, and I need you to get your head in the game do you hear me, I can see it on your face Ronnie, your dwelling on it, please don't Ronnie." I say.  
"I, just I want to be careful that's all, I promise I won't coddle you, but you can't expect to tell me something like that and not dwell." He says as we get to the 8th third class corridor. We stop, one way leading to the dinning room and another leading to the bedrooms.  
A horde of bizarre corpses up ahead now moving towards us.  
One clambers at my ankle, dragging it's corpse along the floor, cold dead fingers enclose on my leg, pulling me to the floor and completely forgetting myself I stab it through the chest... only it doesn't work. Before I could react Ronald's lawn mower was in place of it's head and I swung my sword at the surrounding ones, severing their heads from their necks.  
"Are you okay?" Ronald asked.  
"Yeah thanks Ronnie." I smiled shakily... too close for comfort.  
"No problem love, head only remember." Ronald grunted, swinging his lawn mower across the other corpses, their horrible moaning noises filling the room, like the salt water will soon enough.  
"Yeah, I'll remember." I breathe, re-adjusting.  
I wildly slash at their head, a large pool of stagnant blood emitting from the mass of pilling bodies.  
I breathed heavily as the last one fell to the ground, checking my pocket watch we were just on time for another twenty reaping's.  
Ronald looked from side to side around the lengths of the corridor, brushing himself off and then facing forward and grabbing my hand, pulling me close to stare right into his eye's.  
"We've got exactly seven minutes to be done here and get to the next one, meet me back here in five minutes, okay?" He says.  
I nod and turn to run.  
" I love you Ronald." I say. Before I break into a run.  
"I love you too..." He says, before turning around and running into the dinning room.

**_Ronald P.O.V_**  
I stamp the completed sign into the book, and then check my watch.  
"Cripes, what a mess this is turning out to be. And when I'm so hellishly busy already too..." I sigh closing my tatty little death book.  
"Since the real show starts now." I say tuning my wrist to glimpse the time on my wristwatch.

At that point Elanora runs in, one second late...  
"You're late." I smirk.  
"Says you, the grim reaper with trouble arriving anywhere on time. You should check that wrist watch of yours more often." She retorts folding her arms as I walk past her to the door, she follows quickly, keeping pace with my fast footsteps... the only sound here now.  
"My wrist watch!? what kind of woman uses a pocket watch!?" I said in speculation.  
"You brought it for me!" She yelled.  
"Cause your old one broke!" I laughed.  
"A classy lady wears one that's who." She huffed.  
"Yes a very classy lady." I smirked, making her blush...  
I'm glad we can have moments like this, they don't come often in situations such as this, when she goes on an assignment I often feel like I'm holding my breath and hoping this isn't the time she won't come back, I hope the myth is just a load of bull shit or only half of it's true or something... The real fact is I could be loosing her again and I don't think my heart could take that this time, not after I thought I lost her at Christmas.

She told me that dying in my arms was probably one of the most beautiful feelings she had ever felt and as I thought she was saying that with her final moments it broke me up inside, I felt my heart shatter. Because the thought of us wanting to be together, but never realizing it... until it was too late was almost too much irony for me to take and the worst part was after all that happened... she still loved me and I had been stupid enough to be slow in processing the way I felt as normally most girls are a one time fling, I never could comprehend the unimaginable desire for her to be in my arms, and then my wish came true... but almost at a terrible cost...

While she was in that coma I made a promise to us both, I would hold her in my arms whenever possible, be by her side when she needed me even if she didn't know it, I made a promise that if she woke up, I would love her till the day I died, one thing that will never change.

And now here we are, the prospect of loosing her once more dangling in front of my face, her life on a pendulum and I can't begin to describe how that makes me feel...

We stop on the upper deck of the ship. Standing right near the railing we have a clear view of the iceberg coming straight towards us.  
Elanora sighed, I already sense that bit of fear creeping in about the next couple of hours as the ship starts to fill with water.  
I put my lawn mower by my side and pull her close, wrapping my arms around her delicate waist, I lean over her shoulder and gently sniff her hair, a wonderful smell of flowers adorns her jet black subtle waves of hair. "HAAAAAAH-! were bout to crash straight into over time aren't we?" I sighed, pulling out my death book.  
"Yes... Yes we are but it was to be expected." Elanora said running her free hand through my hair, delicate fingers playing with my hair.  
I really don't care about that whole neutral face thing, emotionless thing, when were alone we can be as sentimental as we like.  
"But I'm strictly against over time as a rule." I moaned.  
"Everyone hates overtime Ronnie, but it's part of the job, though I don't see why management would be so in efficient by sending the numbers we have to do a reaping of this magnitude." She sighed, pushing up her glasses with her other hand and then pulling out her blue death book.  
"What I mean is managements really pushing it am I right ?" I continue.  
"It's crazy leaving the retrieval of all these souls... to just the three of us." I finish looking up to see Grell-Sempai standing on the iceberg...  
Typical... he has to make a grand entrance.

"What bad manners on a maidens first night! if you ram something this big and hard into her, she just might break you know?" Grell smirked as he jumped off the ice berg at the last second, Ice flying everywhere as the ship screeched into the humungous iceberg.  
" His dirty mouth annoys me to no end... how did you put up with him being your Grim Reaper mentor?" Elanora scoffed.  
"William-Sempai helped out a lot of the time so in a way we had the same mentor." I sighed pushing my glasses up.  
Grell landed on the boat a flamboyant pose as he landed on the ground heads rolling with a spin of his death scythe.  
"... a luxury cruise... TO DIE FOR!" He said striking a pose.  
"Lets go then love." I sighed...

**_Later..._**  
Elanora had turned her head for two minutes to slay a few corpses and I find myself holding Sempai's waist.  
I suddenly glanced to the side seeing more bodies fall off the side.  
"No averting your eye's now! Come on... You need to feel it too!" Sempai said.  
I hate being a junior, having to obey Grell's orders.  
"This briny ocean air! I feel like I'm being caressed all over!" He cried.  
ugghhhh, please kill me. I'm suffering!  
"Uh... Sutcliff-Sempai... sir..." I whined, cringing as he spread his arms like a bird in flight.  
Suddenly he screamed, hair being roughly pull, dragging against the floor, he cried in pain as his head repeatedly hit the floor. "What insolence!" Elanora sighed, looking up her left hand was behind her back and the other holding her rapier, bloodied and dripping.  
Grell grunted to which Elanora stamped on his back, grinding her heel right in.  
"We have no time for this and nor is it suitable for you to be doing such things with MY boyfriend..." She said, annoyance trailing in her voice.  
She took her foot off with a "tch" sound escaping her lips. "Jealous are we?" He smirked, causing her to once again send his head into the floor.  
"What that someone like you had the audacity to perv on another's partner, no, I'm not jealous of something like you." She said coldly, she sounds far too much like William-Sempai sometimes...  
"Never mind anyway, I wanted a hunk to play this part not a brat like you." He said getting up and pointing at me.  
How rude.  
"By hunk you mean..." I said in annoyance thinking about that demon butler.  
"Your Sebastian-Darling." Elanora scoffed.  
"Sebas-! " Elanora stepped on his back again, rolling her eyes at the feminine screams of her senior.  
"Anyway we totally don't have time for this kinda thing." I sighed, pulling out my death book and licking through the pages reading the names as I went.  
"We've still got 1,034 souls just like this to go!" I whined.  
"And they ordered us to investigate the moving corpses on top of our assignment, rather tactless if you ask me." Elanora huffed.  
"Don't you whine over something like that. To us Grim reapers reaping the souls the absolute! So have your little snoop around when you have a minute to spare from reaping." Grell said standing up and adjusting his coat.  
"I'm amazed you can say that when you're just coming off suspension." I said.  
Elanora thinks I'm care free, not as much as him by far.  
"I can handle doing overtime when Will's got it in for me. But I've had enough of suspension thank you very much!" Slinging his scythe over his shoulder and pushing open the door.  
"Both are the pit's if you ask me." I said leaning over my leaning over my scythe.  
"You're mad I would hate to get suspended, the sheer humiliation alone!" Elanora stated flabbergasted by my previous comment.

**_Elanora P.O.V_**  
"Ugh there's just no end to them!" Grell announced slashing another doll with his death scythe.  
What used to be the Grand first class suite of the Campania was now a all you can eat buffet for the undead!  
"How bout we stop doing this now!" Ronald called, starting to struggle with the load slightly, yet his pace did not waver in the slightest.  
"Agreed we don't have time for this we must carry out the rest of the list! We are running out of time!" I shouted spinning in a haze of dead, rapier pointed outward so each turn slashed the dolls from navel to nose.  
"Well... true enough there's no point battling these things one by one." Grell said, relaxing in posture slightly.  
"That's what I'm saying." Ronald said slouching over his lawn mower as he struck the last one of his horde.  
"Cos' this ship... is going to sink..." He called grimly. A cold shiver went up my spine as if someone was running a cold, dead hand against my skin.  
"Ronnie..." I whined, almost as if an agitated little girl, but I didn't care, I didn't want to acknowledge the fact that this ship was going down.  
"Don't stress yourself love, we'll just get onto the iceberg with no time to spare and then portal back to HQ." Ronald assured me.

**_First class corridor_**  
"We're finished here." Grell sighed, putting his hand on his hip.  
"Next up's the third boiler room, we've gotta go five levels." Ronald said eyeing his death book incredibly closely.  
"Ughhh! Five Levels? What a pain." Grell said huffing miserably.  
"...All the same... What in the world could be making those corpses move hmmmm?" Ronald said pushing his mower along.  
"No idea. That's why we've got orders to look into it right?" Grell slung his chainsaw over his shoulder walking down the corridor.  
"I suppose but we were not even given a specified run down of the situation, how could we come up with a hypotheses for this then?" I said, catching up as I pulled a card from one of the dolls heads.  
"By all rights, A body without a soul moving of its own will isn't possible... No... It wasn't possible. At least not in the world I know." Grell emphasized, Ronald and I walking close behind the he-she.  
"Then all the more reason kids like us wouldn't understand!" Ronald laughed heartily a cheeky grin on his face.  
"Speak for yourself ." I said in a low tone.  
"Heyyyy! Are you trying to say I'm a women past her prime." He-she said in annoyance.  
"Correction you're a He-she past it's past it's prime." I smirked. My foul mood pushing Grell over the edge a little to my pleasure.  
Suddenly a loud clacking and rattle of horses. Out of no-where a carriage, pulled by corpse doll horses thingies bounded down the corridor.  
"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!? HORSES!? HOWS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!?" Ronald yelled in utter shock.  
"This place veritable parade of the impossible." Grell smirked knowingly. Pointing his scythe towards the moving death wagon, he leapt forth, with one quick motion completely cutting the vehicle in horizontal, a delayed reaction of gushing blood erupting a second later.  
"Hmmmm not bad! This is hardly the time to be playing good little girls at the village fair! Lets get our motors running and head to the next one kiddies!" He-she shouted slamming its scythe into the wild horse's side wit a sickening screech of two materials connecting.  
The image however sent a chill down my spin as if alerting me to something long forgotten almost like a sixth sense. A feeling of Dejavu washed over me which I put to the back of my head as not to trigger a spontaneous black out...  
Things are going to get a lot more hectic than I thought on this little trip..


	10. Strange powers

"Ughhhh! My ears! Please stop!" I whined the whir of Grell's chainsaw cutting through the floor, like a knife cuts through soft cheese.  
What's going here is as soon as Grell saw the filthy demon he decided to get to him by any means possible, even if it means sawing through the floor.  
"Shut up with your incessant whining !" Grell said as the circle in the floor opened up revealing the demon butler. Grell jumped first ecstatic at the chance to waltz the dance of death with his most beloved demon. Ronald jumping after and me last a trail of debris running down behind and crumbling into the floor. "Hunk sighted!" Grell smiled evily. "You are Grell Sutcliff!" Both Butler and master stated... and another young girl, blond pale and pretty...poor dear...  
Here we go again... I feel a fight coming on!  
"Hiiiii! It's been absolutely ages Sebastian Darling! Being united with you here, it must be fate." Grell cooed lifting his coat to curtsey like a little lady. "It is simply coincidence." The demon stated a look of annoyance on his face and his blunt manner making Grell squeal with delight.  
"Cold as ice you are but that side of you is always so divine."  
Was I like that when I started fancying Ronald. Hope not, I'd hate to look like that!  
"Oh Boy he found him huh...?" Ronald sighed.  
"This is your fault you know!" I scolded.  
"What!?" I sighed, now's not the time to have the memory of a Gold fish.  
"You said look it's the demon the butler one!" I scoffed.  
"Oh yeaaahh... Sutcliff-Sempai. Don't Forget we still have souls to reap okay?"

Whilst Grell and Ronald were having a very one sided discussion, the demon turned quickly on his heels, with the rest of his entourage behind him.  
"When you two are done releasing Grell's sexual frustrations, the demon's getting away!" I called drawing my rapier.  
"Hey wait for me!" Grell called, slashing straight into the demon's path. With one vertical motion, the butler lifted both children away from the attack.  
By now I was sick of hearing Grell prattling on, but at the same time his reckless fighting style also put me on edge, the faced paced movements of both reaper and demon combatants were far too quick to follow with human eye's.

Suddenly Grell slashed through the port window, letting in a great rush of water, the force of which being so brutal it knocked me down to the other side of the corridor. The water as colt as ice, only to be expected from the Atlantic. Grell really is an idiot.  
Getting up I shook myself off as best as I could. Ronald now seeming to have used Grell's idiocy to his advantage, surprised the demon, managing to subdue him long enough for me to get a blow... at least that's what I thought...  
On mass the doll's started to clamber towards us, from all sides of the corridors. Unfortunately for me, the rushing water had sent me to the full front of it! I quickly adapted, drawing my rapier and simultaneously cutting down as many a four a time... yet it still wouldn't be enough... with the amount of soul's massing upstairs and in the corridors it was no surprise that they would be drawn here... Ronald was on his own. Each slash staining the water a sickly red... Grell's favourite colour.

A sudden scream could be heard as the girl with the Phantomhive boy, was surrounded by doll's on the other side of the corridor, and for a brief second I had a moral dilemma... it's not my obligation to save lives... it's to make sure they end... yet I had not seen her on any death list yet.

I ignored my feelings this time, not because I was cold, but because I'm a Reaper first and a person second... I'm not even human anymore... I don't even remember what the difference was anymore.

"Lizzy!" Phantomhive shouted, a pained look staining his face like a bad smell when he tried to move his foot.

Suddenly the girl sliced through the head of one of the doll's, sword in hand, proper stance adjusted accordingly to the type of attack... This girl was a professional!

Quickly grabbing another sword from the ships crest piece, a frenzy of blood, enveloped the corridor.

This girl daughter of the head of the British order and bride of Ciel Phantomhive... Things were now falling into place.

The girl glared menacingly at Grell, the one who had just tried to harm her beloved fiancé.  
A quick advance with rapier pointed straight, a clear shot... However... I can not allow her to injure my superior.  
I parried her strike, knocking her off guard slightly, but she quickly thrust back in with another attack. On normal grounds I wouldn't fight children, but she was no ordinary child...

The fight however ceased as the butler held both ends of our swords, my quick reaction meaning for me to pull back and then advance only for the butler to apologize for having a lady such as herself go to great lengths. Saying then that he shall handle the rest, however seeing the determined look in the demons eye's Grell thought twice before engaging again and swiftly left with me an Ronald following example.

By pure chance a good piece of information was given as we were leaving. A Rian fellow, quickly looking through death books we found his name situated in Ronald's death book. Rian Stocker. "Toodles!"

Me and Ronald shivered in embarrassment.

"I hate you and your arse face!" I scolded.  
"How cruel!" Grell yelled dramatically.

**_Later._**  
"Uwah...!"  
"OOOoooh I say you're quite a catch dear boy! I've got you hook line and sinker." Grell smirked perversely, grabbing on to the falling mans ankle at the last second, saving his life at the exact moment... poor sod.  
"So you're Rian hm?" He chided.  
"Wha! How do you know my name!" He yelled swinging from side to side in panic. "OKAY! That's enough small talk. Are we right in assuming you're the fellow who doctored the corpses to make them move." Ronsld piped in boldly, earning an annoyed glance from Grell.  
The man looked up in shock at our knowledge of the situation.  
"Why so surprised?" I asked peeking over Grell's shoulder.  
Ronald turned, a grim, almost sadistic smile on his lips and said.  
"Such a pain, Aren't they " These "irregular" types "... Death is s'posed to be a rule that can never be overturned in this world."

He sent chills down my spine, his words were cold, almost seductive... Glancing over at me, he caught my expression and winked at me...  
...Staph et...  
"Well how do you stop these corpses?" Grell asked, letting his ankle slip a little more from his already loosening grasp.  
"My friend here won't be so obliging for much longer you know, best give him what he want's." I say sarcastically. The man in panic finally gives.  
"Th-There's a device in my room that will nullify the absolute salvation!" He yelled.  
With a cheery smirk Grell hoisted him up and put him down, eye's shooting towards the door he thought twice as my rapier prodded his back.  
"Don't even." I said as he stood up and directed us to his room... hopefully.

Walking through the cabins we stopped as he gasped and rushed through the open door we presumed to be his cabin, the place was utterly wrecked... but most importantly...

Empty...  
"This can't be it was surely here!" He said in confusion.  
I narrowed my eye's, I wasn't going to believe him! He could just be stalling hoping the ship would sink in time... but then why would he fear for his life at the same time.  
"Well then where is it!?" Grell screeched. Chainsaw raised above his head.  
"I don't know! Last I heard before the ship was to sink things were being set up in the first class lounge!" He wailed.  
We eyed each other as if to say we had just found our next clue, the lounge.  
"Come on then!" Ronald said as we started the again navigate the tilting ship.

"Him!" Stocker yelled running over to the balcony. In the centre was a lavishly dresses man for some random reason holding a glass of wine, a man dressed in freaky yet distinguishable undertakers clothing, the Phantomhive's and the supposed machine. Bingo.  
"You Rat why would you steal the machine!" Stocker shouted.  
"With the power of this device I shall build a new empire!" Massive twat that he was!  
He then rambled on about creating a new world... such a fool...  
" Thing's seem to have gone pear-shaped huh?" Ronald said putting his arms behind his head while Grell put one foot on the balcony ready to spring into action.  
"I'll make that Cadd the reddest of REDS in the blink of an eye!" Grell shouted excitedly.  
"Easy now!" Ronald warned.  
"You're still on thin ice!" I scolded.

"What were to happen if I destroyed the machine..." Grell went mad at the mans words, trying to clamber over just so he could paint him red, had it not been for Ronald's quick thinking.  
"Time out Sempai!" He yelled, struggling hard to pull him back. A sudden shattering of glass revealed the ever growing number of Corpses clambering through!  
"Hey look at these numbers!" Ronald yelled .  
"What are you, a calculator!? But bloody hell hurry up!" I shouted throwing cards at the corpses heads to try in some way to diminish their growing numbers. "Start the machine now Viscount!" Rian shouted.  
"I am no longer a Viscount... Kaiser I shall start the device if you call me that, with that lovely mouth of yours, so much like a cocks robin." He smirked to the Phantomhive boy... pervert...pervert, he's so creepy.  
"...Gazing out as I sip my wine I truly am just like Emperor Nero!" He says, suddenly grabbing my waist and pulling me close to him, I shiver in pure disgusted. Everyone starts to battle the violent creatures but then Ronald catches sight of me and my frightened expression and stopped mid-way through killing a corpse.  
"And if you want a beauty such as you can rule by my side!" He yelled. Running his hands over me... EWWWWWWWWWWW!  
"Your ever so wonderfully endowed..." He said, hand running up my side and sloping around the front in anticipation.  
"RONNIE!" I screamed trying to pull myself away from this mad man... why was he so strong!?

"AARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! CAN WE KILL HIM NOW!?" Ronald screamed, raising his lawn mower in the air, his face a mix of disgust, fury, agitation and god knows what else.

"Let me get this straight! You just stopped me didn't you!?" Grell yelled slicing through more of them.  
I wriggle and pushed, scrambled until I finally regained freedom, slipping out of his grasp only for something to trip me... just before falling however I felt a familiar arm slope around me and spin me, catching me as I fell and slashing another two with his lawn mower.  
"Ronnie." I managed pulling out a card and absent-mindedly throwing it straight into one of the corpses heads.  
"Are you alright?" He asked caringly, his eye's never leaving mine for a second as we battled through the hoard.  
"I'm fine Ronnie." I said, swirling past a faster one and stabbing him in the back of my head.  
"I don't care what I have to do if he so much as touches you again it won't matter if his name isn't on the to-die list!" He growled. I chuckled slightly, though at the same time focusing on the task at hand, while slashing through another and another doll.  
"Hey you get a move on and start that thing up would you!" Grell shouted, the hoard starting to become uncontrollable in numbers, soon we would be overwhelmed. I heaved, the numbers becoming far too great for me to manage, I was completely cut off from Ronald and Grell, outmatched and surrounded, I felt boxed in!  
"Very well then...The time for the founding of my empire is upon us at last." I could hear the pervert smirk a mile off... This is all his fault.  
"Now then all of you!" He started... I twitched in annoyance before screaming "CAN WE KILLL HIM NOW!" "YOUR ALL BLOODY HYPOCRITES!" Grell retorted. Raising his glass In the air the Viscount then yelled " Show me the dance of the Phoenix in pledging allegiance to your Kaiser!"  
"Right. Kill him!" I thought, sighing in defeat as I re-grouped with the boys.  
"The eternal flame in this breast... cannot be quenched by anyone." We all said, embarrassed and irritated were just minor terms for the feelings we felt.

"The new."

"PHOENIX!"

We shouted striking the acquired pose, arms flung over and out stretched leg, the epitome of humiliation.  
"Well played comrades now I shall show you the army that bows before us!" He cheered pressing the machine only for it to... do nothing... Face palm...  
The undertaker fellow burst into uncontrollable laughter! WHAT IN GRIMS NAME IS EXACTLY GOING ON HERE!?  
"Rian! The machine you made is useless!" The Viscount shouted in disbelief, the dolls continuing to gather!  
"It can't be!"

"You, you deceived me!" Rian shouted, earning a interested glance from Grell! Uh oh.  
"What farce is this?" He shouted jumping down from the balcony, while I jumped up to get a better sighting.  
"He really is something, SEMPAI WE GRIM REAPERS SHOULDN'T KILL HUMANS...!" Ronald yelled as Grell sliced through the nicks of more dolls, grinning insatiably as he aimed at the Viscount's head.  
"So much over time..." I moaned, placing a hand on my forehead for some kind of relief from the head ache that was massing from this whole event.

Suddenly as Grell was about to come into contact with the perv, the undertaker blocked him, a large object in his hand holding the death scythe away from The viscounts head.  
" Wha-!?" Me and Ronald gasped.

The undertaker just grinned."Hehe it's been ages since I laughed this hard...In my humble opinion, losing such an amusing chap would amount to a loss for this world. Wouldn't you agree with me, my little Grim Reaper's?" He smirked. I felt chilled... that sounded like something one of us would say, something a Grim Reaper would immediately understand... because it's what we do... Decide.  
Grell was flung away with tremendous ease, heading straight towards the ceiling window, the undertakers blade split like lightning, then were sent straight towards him. Narrowly managing to deflect them as he burst through the window, the shattered glass rained down like a glittering mass of painful snow.

"Ah how sad it is that laughter should vanish from this place." Undertaker said, raising the long piece of hair from his face to reveal... Phosphorescent(Grim Reaper) eye's. "He masked his presence most skilfully. His eye's have always been hidden, so it escaped even my notice." The butler said, holding his young master in his arms as a result of protecting him from the falling glass emitted earlier.  
"Same here. He fooled me good." Grell said, trying to stem the bleeding from his eye. "Sempai, those eye's!" Ronald gaped. Had he seriously not clicked on yet.  
"Yeah, those are Grim Reaper eye's !" I said.  
"Hee!Hee! How Nostalgic! It's been at least half a century since I was last called that." Undertaker said, his voice changing, becoming more menacing with every drawn out word.

Then with a loud outburst the truth was revealed, how Rian had been deceived by the undertaker, how the undertaker found it comical and how naïve Rian actually was to believe that this was all medical science. How at first Undertaker's curiosity got the better of him, editing cinematic records. HUGE VIOLATIONS OF THE CODE ALL GRIM REAPERS RETIRED OR ACTIVE LIVE BY! "If you don't believe me have a look... Little girl perhaps." He said, gesturing to me. Hesitantly I pulled out my rapier only for him to put his hand up to stop me.  
"Nooo, no you don't need that." He smirked, eyeing me closely.  
"What?" I said, keeping my rapier close by my side.  
"I can see your eye's my dear, cinematic suppression, it's more than a book mark you know, tut, tut you should try harder to hide those freaky little eye's of yours." He giggled, I clenched my fist's, here we go again.  
"Hey! You shut up!" Ronald yelled. Suddenly a corpse jumped me, too close to raise my rapier. I screamed and fell backward only for the corpse to go limp and turn into a dead weight on me, Pushing It off, I realized my vision had turned a light blue and the cinematic record was flowing from the corpse.  
"Elanora, your eye's!?" Grell said wide eyed.  
As the cinematic record came to an end it suddenly showed pictures of the undertaker dressed up in a suit and bad moustache...

"We can't overlook this now... the more we hear, the more we can't overlook this you know." I said, Grell seeming to be fully absorbed in the Undertakers speech.  
"No doubt and tying him up and handing him over to the rest of dispatch would help us find out more about the moving corpses." Ronald agreed.  
"All the same he isn't wearing glasses." I added, looking the undertaker up and down... Old enough to have retired, yet knowledgeable enough to know about my eye's and tell me something even I didn't know I can do.

Interesting...

"Here, do you think he's one of those deserters we get every once in a blue moon." Ronald quipped earing him a very sharp slap upside the head from me.  
"Well nah, he's just the guy that sells cakes down the road near Wantage stree- Of course he's a deserter!" "I don't care what he is! A grim reaper interfering with life and death is against the rules."  
"To hear you of all people say that! I don't know weather it's a good or bad thing... Nether the less we should capture him." I said pushing up my glasses with my index finger.  
"ON TOP OF THAT I SHANT FORIGVE YOUR SIN BY HARMING A GIRL'S FACE!" Grell screamed.

Please Kill me I'm suffering...

Grell lunged at the undertaker without a moment's notice.  
"If we end up pulling over time for this Grell I will kill you!" I yelled following in after Ronald, Immediately the fight turned into a frenzy of waving limbs and acrobatics. I couldn't even attempt to throw a card before the Butler was upon us kicking Ronald in the arm as he tried to kick the undertaker, slamming Ronald against the wall.  
"What's the big Idea!" I yelled as he used his other leg to sweep me, I back flipped and landed on the opposite side.  
What the HELLLLLL!  
"Sebastian Darling!" Grell yelled in confusion.  
"We cannot allow you to haul him away." The butler said, the little brat explaining how he needed to explain to the Queen and all that crap!  
"This is A Grim Reaper concern! Out siders should stay out of it!" Grell snarled.

" Then it's simple. The first one to get to him wins. And I have no intention to loose to an old man like you!" Ronald glared at the demon, swaying as he rose to his feet.  
"And not to brag, but let's do a head count shall we. We've got Grell, one of the most powerful, he-she, psychopath there ever was, Ronald who has a freaking lawn mower, bad ass manoeuvring skills and a cocky determination an-"  
"Elanora who is one of the best projectile weapons expert there is, as well as having an awesome power, that makes three against one!" Ronald interrupted, winking as he looked at me.  
"Hee Hee this is just like hunting a rabbit. Now then, who shall be the hunted Rabbit."

"Crap!" I yelled as my back was slammed into the floor by the undertaker, I quickly rolled away as his foot stomped on where my head had previously been.  
Looking up I saw Ronald ambling around without glasses on! Gazing over I saw as the demon snatched the away again with his damn cutlery. This pissed me off cause only I get to take off Ron's glasses! I quickly rolled again as the knife just missed my side!  
Picking up the glasses I flipped over the fight between Undertaker and the demon, handing Ron his glasses.  
"Cheer's love!" He smirked dangerously as he put his glasses back on.  
"He's really pissing me off! let's do this quick!" Ronald said.  
I nodded, my stomach lurking as I felt the ship list left even more, meaning it had taken on even more water.  
"The ship's listing pretty badly." Grell said.  
"Were out of time." I hissed. Not all the souls were collected yet!  
"You said it." Ronald sighed checking his wrist watch.

In a burst of sudden realization we leaped forward, going in for a head on strike.  
Later on in the fight however I realized something, how is he parrying our strikes!I remember glimpsing Grell slashing through his weapon moments ago and earlier he couldn't cut through.  
"There is one thing isn't there? That it can't cut through." The undertaker smirked.  
"You don't mean...!?" "Get ba...!" I felt hot pain sear through me as all three of us were thrown away in a haze of blood and pain. Falling hard and rolling on the ground for a second I hazily looked on at the trail of blood I had made on the white floor.  
Ronald was layed face down, blood seeping from his chest. However looking up I could see it, thorned, a skeleton handle and long blade... A death scythe.

"Now I should hunt you!" The undertaker said slicing at supports of balcony.  
In a sudden crash I felt myself being pulled across the floor... Under something warm.  
Ronald!

"Ron!" I yelled, realizing he was using himself to shield me from the falling debris.  
"Just shut up and stay still!" He yelled.

I did as I was told and waited.


End file.
